Mbappé admits to making "mistakes" and downplays his popularity decline

Kylian Mbappé has shed his image as a flawless player by publicly admitting he has made mistakes, while qualifying the weight of judgments made about him through the media lens.

The France captain spoke in an interview with Onze Mondial at a time when his popularity is experiencing a marked decline. In France, the turbulent end of his PSG adventure, alleged tensions within the national squad, and certain media postures have fueled growing frustration. In Spain, some Real Madrid supporters blame him for the club’s two near-blank seasons, despite his prolific personal goal tally.

“Without disrespecting anyone, those who think I’m perfect don’t have a TV! Because I think I’ve demonstrated time and time again that I can make mistakes! And I’m OK with that,” Mbappé said, openly acknowledging his past missteps.

The 26-year-old nevertheless downplays the value of external analysis, insisting on the inevitable distance between television imagery and the reality of a person. “Nobody really knows you through the TV. That’s why sometimes there are analyses that are out of step with reality,” he explained, comparing his situation to that of an actor or presenter whom one might think to know through their screen appearances alone.

Mbappé says he draws from his own media experience a form of restraint in judging others: “That’s why I don’t pass judgment, because I have the experience of going behind the screen, so I know what it’s like. But you can’t prevent people from having an opinion even if sometimes it’s wrong—those are the ups and downs of life.”

These remarks also come in the wake of his Ballon d’Or campaign, which had itself sparked criticism and further tarnished his image with part of the public.