Ousmane Dembele blasts 'very unfair' Kylian Mbappe treatment and hails France team-mate as 'wonderful' person

Mbappe has remained one of football's most discussed figures over the past year, with attention focused on both his performances and life away from the pitch. However, France team-mate Dembele believes the level of scrutiny directed at the forward has become excessive. The winger also stressed that the attention surrounding Mbappe has become increasingly personal despite his status as one of the world's leading players and his impressive record at club and international level.

Speaking to Marca, Dembele argued that Mbappe is judged by a different standard from other players. He suggested that criticism often goes beyond football and that minor aspects of the striker's behaviour are frequently turned into talking points.

"They've been very unfair to him," Dembele said. "They go a bit overboard with the criticism of Kylian because he's an incredible player. A great person off the field, because I've known him for a long time. Sometimes they go too far with the criticism just because it's Kylian Mbappe.

"They shouldn't be so hard on him. Whether he ties his shoelaces, whether he doesn't tie them, whether he pulls up his socks, whether he doesn't put them on... It's too much. Because he's still a human being and a player of exceptional quality."

While external debate around the forward regularly dominates headlines, his standing inside the dressing room appears unchanged. The winger highlighted the importance of Mbappe's influence on and off the pitch, reinforcing his role as one of the team's key figures.

Dembele concluded: "In any case, here on the French national team, he gets along very well with us. He's a leader, the captain of our team, and a very important player."

France will continue to rely on their captain's leadership and quality as they pursue success on the 2026 World Cup. Les Bleus will face Senegal in their Group I opener on June 16. They will then face Iraq on June 22, and close out the group stage against Norway later this month.