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France player Ousmane Dembélé has backed national team captain Kylian Mbappé, claiming that the criticism levelled at the Real Madrid striker has been “very, very unfair” and gone too far.
Mbappé has received widespread criticism in Spain following a trophy-less season with Real Madrid, as well as continuous controversy in France about his leadership position since becoming national team captain in 2023.
Dembélé told Spanish newspaper Marca on Friday that the intensity of attention on Mbappé frequently crosses a boundary.
“The criticism towards him is very, very unfair,” he said. “Some people go a bit too far with the criticism of Kylian.”
He added that Mbappé’s global status often fuels exaggerated reactions from fans and pundits alike.
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“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.”
Dembélé also said even minor details of Mbappé’s behaviour are unfairly magnified.
“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.”
The comments come during a strong period for Dembélé, who is among the contenders for this year’s Ballon d’Or after helping Paris Saint-Germain secure back-to-back UEFA Champions League titles.
Both Dembélé and Mbappé are expected to play key roles for France in their upcoming World Cup campaign, where they are set to face Senegal, Iraq, and Norway in the group stage.
