France forward Dembele defends Mbappe from harsh criticism

France forward Ousmane Dembele has publicly defended national team captain Kylian Mbappe, calling the intense criticism directed at the Real Madrid star "very, very unfair" and excessive. Dembele made the comments in an interview with Spanish newspaper Marca on Friday, June 12, 2026, as the French squad prepares for its opening World Cup match against Senegal next week.

Dembele argued that the scrutiny of Mbappe, one of the world's most prominent footballers, often crosses a line. "Some people go a bit too far with the criticism of Kylian," Dembele said. "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." He suggested that even minor aspects of Mbappe's behavior are unfairly magnified, stating, "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. With the France team, he's very good with us, he's a leader."

Mbappe heads into the tournament under a cloud of criticism following a season where Real Madrid failed to win either La Liga or the UEFA Champions League. Despite scoring 42 goals in 44 games, he...