Mbappé clarifies his reaction to "Mobut" nickname launched by Dembélé

Kylian Mbappé spoke out to react to viral distortions depicting him as a dictator on social media, and to the “Mobut” nickname that Ousmane Dembélé apparently gave him during the World Cup.

The France captain draws a distinction. When the jab comes from the PSG striker, he takes it in stride: “Ousmane, that’s different. He picked it up on social media! For him, it’s just for laughs,” he said. His tone changes when he addresses the anonymous posts circulating widely.

“There’s a part that’s funny because you can tell that for some people, it’s all in good fun,” acknowledged the player from Bondy. But he quickly added a caveat: “There’s also a part that’s less funny because we know the damage that kind of people have caused in history. Being compared to people who murder people, or who made millions and millions of people miserable… I don’t think I’ve done that in my life.”

Mbappé concludes by distinguishing between light-hearted intent and historical ignorance: “It sometimes shows a lack of political and human conscience in people.” A statement that reveals the player’s ambivalence toward a caricatured image that, despite himself, has taken hold in public debate.