Dembele defends Mbappe as France prepare to open World Cup campaign against Senegal

Ousmane Dembele has publicly defended Kylian Mbappe from what he called excessive criticism, insisting the France captain remains ‘an incredible player and a very good person’ as Les Bleus prepare to face Senegal in their World Cup opener on Tuesday.

Speaking to Spanish newspaper Marca, Dembele — a contender for this year’s Ballon d’Or after helping Paris Saint-Germain win the Champions League — said some commentators had gone ‘a bit too far’ in their assessment of his long-time teammate. ‘The criticism towards him is very, very unfair,’ Dembele said. ‘Some people overdo the criticism because he’s Kylian Mbappe. They shouldn’t keep going after him. 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.’

Mbappe has been one of the most scrutinised figures in French football since joining Real Madrid in 2024. Despite a prolific personal scoring record, he faced sharp criticism during a season in which Madrid failed to win either La Liga or the Champions League. Questions have also been raised about his leadership of the national side since he inherited the captaincy following Hugo Lloris’s international retirement.

Dembele pushed back firmly on that narrative. ‘With the France team, he’s very good with us, he’s a leader,’ he said, adding that the two forwards are expected to play central roles in France’s pursuit of a third World Cup title across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The PSG winger also used the interview to pay tribute to coach Didier Deschamps, who has announced he will step down after the tournament, ending more than a decade in charge of the national side. ‘He’s simply an exceptional coach,’ Dembele said. ‘He will forever remain a legend among French national team coaches.’ Deschamps guided France to World Cup glory in 2018 and to the final four years later.

Asked about the prospect of Zinedine Zidane succeeding Deschamps, Dembele was enthusiastic. ‘We hope to welcome him one day to the France bench,’ he said. ‘I’m convinced he would do a fantastic job.’ Zidane, a World Cup winner as a player in 1998 and a highly decorated coach at Real Madrid, has long been linked with the role but has consistently declined to discuss it while Deschamps remains in post.