France forward Ousmane Dembele has launched a passionate defence of his national team captain Kylian Mbappe, insisting the Real Madrid striker is the victim of unfair and excessive criticism. Speaking to Spanish newspaper Marca, Dembele said some people “go a bit too far” with their attacks on Mbappe, who has been under intense scrutiny in both Spain and France after Real Madrid failed to win a trophy this season.
“The criticism towards him is very, very unfair,” Dembele said. “Some people go a bit too far with the criticism of Kylian. He’s an incredible player and a very good person off the pitch. Some people overdo the criticism because he’s Kylian Mbappe. They shouldn’t keep going after him.” Dembele highlighted the trivial nature of some of the complaints, adding: “Whether he ties his shoelaces or not, whether he pulls up his socks or not... it’s too much. He’s still a human being.”
“Ousmane Dembele defends Kylian Mbappe, saying criticism of the Real Madrid striker has gone 'too far'.”
Mbappe, who became France captain in 2023, has faced heavy scrutiny since his move to Real Madrid in 2024. His first two seasons at the Bernabeu have failed to yield either a La Liga title or the Champions League. Dembele, however, praised Mbappe’s leadership within the national team, calling him “a leader” and saying he is “very good with us”.
The two forwards are both expected to start France’s World Cup opener against Senegal on Tuesday, with group fixtures against Iraq and Norway to follow. Dembele is a contender for this year’s Ballon d’Or after helping Paris St-Germain – the club Mbappe left for Madrid – win their second successive Champions League title.
Dembele also paid tribute to France coach Didier Deschamps, who announced last year that he will step down after the World Cup. “He’s simply an exceptional coach,” Dembele said. “He will forever remain a legend among French national team coaches.” Deschamps led France to World Cup glory in 2018 and another final four years later, a match in which Mbappe scored a hat-trick and Dembele also started.
Asked about the prospect of Zinedine Zidane succeeding Deschamps, Dembele spoke positively. “We hope to welcome him one day to the France bench. I’m convinced he would do a fantastic job,” he added. Zidane, who won the World Cup as a player alongside Deschamps in 1998, has been long linked with the France job but has declined to discuss it while Deschamps remains in charge.