2026 World Cup: Kylian Mbappé is a special case; the consensus at the French training camp is unanimous

At the French national team’s training camp, four days before Les Bleus’ opening match of the 2026 World Cup against Senegal, the waters are far from calm—quite the opposite. Kylian Mbappé, the symbol and captain of the French national team, has found himself at the center of criticism that has spread from Real Madrid—the club where he has underperformed this season—to the national team, especially in the wake of last week’s friendly loss in Nantes against the Ivory Coast. Ousmane Dembélé took a firm stance in an interview with ‘Marca’.

In the pages of the Spanish newspaper, the PSG forward denounced what he considers a veritable “witch hunt” by critics. “The criticism directed at him is very, very unfair. Some people really go overboard with Kylian,” explained the reigning Ballon d’Or winner. “As his friend, I can’t help but step in personally to defend him.”

Dembélé then expanded on the topic, highlighting how every one of Mbappé’s gestures is blown out of proportion: “Whether he ties his shoes or not, whether he pulls up his socks or not… it’s all become too much. At the end of the day, he’s still a human being.” Dembélé went on to explain that the loss to Ivory Coast was a defeat for everyone, just as the subsequent victory over Northern Ireland—while featuring Olise as the star with a hat trick—was also due to Mbappé’s performance, who was on the field from kickoff to the final whistle.

The Spanish newspaper then addressed another sensitive topic: the end of the Didier Deschamps era, as he will experience his final World Cup adventure with Les Bleus at the 2026 World Cup. Dembélé had no hesitation in calling him “an exceptional coach” and “a legend of French soccer,” but he also hinted at a hope for the future: to one day see Zinedine Zidane on the Les Bleus bench: “I’m convinced he would do a fantastic job.”