Dembélé defends Mbappé, describing criticism of the France captain as unfair and excessive ahead of the upcoming World Cup

France forward Ousmane Dembélé has come to the defence of national team captain Kylian Mbappé, describing the criticism directed at the Real Madrid star as unfair and excessive amid growing scrutiny over his performances and leadership.

Also read: Mbappe boosts Real Madrid ahead of Man City clash

Speaking in an interview with Spanish newspaper Marca on Friday, Dembélé said the attention surrounding Mbappé often goes beyond reasonable sporting criticism and overlooks the striker’s qualities both on and off the pitch.

“The criticism towards him is very, very unfair,” Dembélé said. “Some people go a bit too far with the criticism of Kylian.”

The comments come after a challenging season for Mbappé, whose first campaign with Real Madrid ended without major silverware, prompting intense debate among Spanish media and supporters.

The France captain has also faced ongoing scrutiny over his leadership role since taking over the national team’s captaincy in 2023.

Dembélé argued that Mbappé’s global profile makes him an easy target for exaggerated reactions whenever results fail to meet expectations.

“He’s an incredible player and a very good person off the pitch. Some people overdo the criticism because he’s Kylian Mbappé. They shouldn’t keep going after him,” he said.

The Paris Saint-Germain winger suggested that even trivial aspects of Mbappé’s behaviour are routinely turned into talking points.

“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,” Dembélé added.

The public backing comes during a remarkable period for Dembélé, who has emerged as one of the leading contenders for this year’s Ballon d’Or after playing a pivotal role in Paris Saint-Germain’s continued success in European football.

Both Dembélé and Mbappé are expected to be central figures for France at the FIFA World Cup, where the 2018 champions will face Senegal, Iraq and Norway in the group stage.

Beyond defending his teammate, Dembélé also paid tribute to France head coach Didier Deschamps, who is expected to step down after the tournament.

“He’s simply an exceptional coach,” Dembélé said. “He will forever remain a legend among French national team coaches.”

Deschamps has enjoyed one of the most successful managerial careers in French football history, leading the country to World Cup triumph in 2018 and guiding Les Bleus to the final in 2022.

Looking beyond the current era, Dembélé welcomed the prospect of former France captain Zinedine Zidane eventually taking charge of the national team.

“We hope to welcome him one day to the France bench. I’m convinced he would do a fantastic job,” he said.

Also read: Kylian Mbappe suffers injury blow before Benfica clash

Zidane, who captained France to World Cup glory in 1998 and later achieved major success as Real Madrid manager, has frequently been linked with the national team role, although he has remained publicly silent on the possibility while Deschamps remains in charge.