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According to a report by GOAL on Friday June 12, 2026, Ousmane Dembélé has come to the defence of France captain Kylian Mbappé, describing the criticism directed at him as “very unfair” ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Paris Saint-Germain forward insists that the level of scrutiny surrounding Mbappé has gone beyond normal football analysis, arguing that the France star is often judged harshly for minor details both on and off the pitch.
Speaking in an interview, Dembélé said many of the criticisms aimed at Mbappé overlook his quality as a player and his importance to the national team.
“They’ve been very unfair to him,” Dembélé said. “They go a bit overboard with the criticism of Kylian because he’s an incredible player.”
He added that Mbappé’s status as one of the biggest names in world football has contributed to constant attention on his behaviour, even when the issues raised are minor or irrelevant to performance.
“Sometimes they go too far with the criticism just because it’s Kylian Mbappé,” he continued.
Dembélé also praised Mbappé’s character off the pitch, describing him as a “wonderful person” and a key figure in the France dressing room.
