World Cup 2026: Dembele urges fans to stop criticizing Mbappé

France forward Ousmane Dembélé has defended his teammate Kylian Mbappé, urging the public to stop criticizing the Real Madrid star.

Mbappé has faced intense scrutiny since taking over the France captaincy in 2023 and after failing to secure a major trophy with Real Madrid last season.

Speaking to Marca ahead of France’s World Cup opener against Senegal on Tuesday, Dembélé said, “There are too many critics towards Kylian.”

“Mbappé is incredible, a top player and a great guy off the pitch. People should not be so aggressive against him,” he added.

“They criticise Kylian for anything he does. That’s way too much.”