The noise around Kylian Mbappé right now is deafening — and not in a good way. His Paris Saint-Germain teammate Ousmane Dembélé has had enough of the Kylian Mbappé criticism, telling Spanish newspaper Marca that the backlash aimed at the Real Madrid forward has become deeply “unfair.”
Kylian Mbappé criticism ‘gone too far’, Dembélé tells Marca
Mbappé made the move to Real Madrid on a free transfer in 2024, and it hasn’t gone the way anyone imagined. Madrid have struggled both domestically and in Europe, while his former club PSG have gone on to lift the Champions League twice since his departure. The frustration from the Madrid faithful has spilled over badly — fans have jeered him at the Bernabéu, and a petition demanding his exit remarkably gathered millions of signatures.
Dembélé, though, isn’t having any of it. “The criticism towards him is very, very unfair. Some people go a bit too far with the criticism of Kylian,” he said. “He’s an incredible player and a very good person off the pitch. 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.”
Strong words. And hard to argue with, frankly.
France look to go one better at the 2026 World Cup
Meanwhile, Les Bleus have bigger things on their mind. France kick off their 2026 World Cup campaign against Senegal on Tuesday, and this tournament carries extra weight — manager Didier Deschamps takes charge for the last time, with all eyes on what comes next for French football. Zinedine Zidane, the former Madrid coach and national icon, has attracted widespread speculation as Deschamps’ successor, and Dembélé is firmly in favour. “We hope to welcome him one day to the France bench. I’m convinced he would do a fantastic job,” he added, before calling Deschamps “an exceptional coach” who will “forever remain a legend.”
France know exactly what’s at stake. Dembélé himself scored in the 2018 World Cup final victory, and Mbappé lit up the 2022 final with a hat-trick — only for Argentina to edge it. This time, France want to go one better. With Mbappé leading the line for his country — where Dembélé insists he remains “a leader” — don’t write them off. Whatever is happening at club level, this squad has unfinished business. With Real Madrid’s own rebuild under José Mourinho gathering pace, Mbappé’s club future remains fascinating too — but right now, it’s all about the World Cup.