Dembélé stands by Mbappé: “The criticism has gone too far” ahead of France’s World Cup opener
Ousmane Dembélé has publicly defended Kylian Mbappé ahead of France’s first appearance at the 2026 World Cup, after questions about the Real Madrid forward’s form, role and captaincy authority once again became central to French and Spanish football debates. According to a Eurosport report, Dembélé told Spain’s Marca that Mbappé should not be treated with such severity and that criticism often crosses the line of sporting analysis. His statement comes at a time when France are preparing for the match against Senegal, which, according to UEFA’s schedule, is set for June 16 in New York. France are in Group I with the national teams of Senegal, Iraq and Norway, while the official website of the French Football Federation states that the national team has been based in Boston during the tournament. In such an environment, every assessment of Mbappé’s performance carries added weight because he is the captain of one of the most closely followed national teams at the tournament.
Dembélé: Mbappé remains key for France
According to Eurosport, Dembélé stressed that the criticism of Mbappé has become excessive and that his teammate is scrutinized for everything he does, but also for small details that under normal circumstances would not attract so much attention. The Paris Saint-Germain forward said that Mbappé is an exceptional player and that he knows him well off the pitch too, which is why he believes that the public often loses the sense of proportion between legitimate criticism and the pressure that follows football’s biggest stars. He particularly emphasized that Mbappé is accepted in the French dressing room as a leader, captain and important player, which is directly opposite to the impression sometimes created in debates about his personality and influence on the team. Dembélé’s message was not an attempt to stop expert debate about France’s play, but a warning that in Mbappé’s case every gesture is interpreted as evidence of a broader problem. Ahead of a major tournament, such a statement has added importance because it comes from a player who shares the national-team dressing room with Mbappé and is one of the key members of the attacking part of the team.
Criticism intensified after the warm-up matches
The pressure on Mbappé did not arise only because of his season at Real Madrid, but intensified further after France’s final tests before departing for North America. According to ESPN, France lost 1-2 to Ivory Coast in Nantes on June 4, although they had taken the lead through Rayan Cherki’s goal, before Amad Diallo secured victory for the African national team in the closing stages. Four days later, in the final home match before the World Cup, France beat Northern Ireland 3-1, and ESPN reports that Michael Olise scored all three goals for Didier Deschamps’s team. That victory improved the impression after the defeat, but it did not completely silence discussions about the attacking structure, especially about how Mbappé, Dembélé and the other offensive players function together. Eurosport noted in the same context that Mbappé did not particularly stand out in the two warm-up matches and that his technical connection with Dembélé was one of the topics in French commentary.
The captain under constant scrutiny
Mbappé entered the national-team tournament as France captain, which, according to UEFA’s overview of the French squad, confirms his formal role in Didier Deschamps’s side. That role brings expectations that go beyond impact in the final third, because the captain is expected to speak on behalf of the group, remain calm in moments of pressure and be the first symbol of the team’s ambitions. That is precisely why Dembélé insisted on the difference between external perception and what, according to him, is seen in the France dressing room. Lucas Hernandez also, according to Eurosport, defended Mbappé and said that the captain is fully motivated for the World Cup, noting that a player of such a profile is watched both on and off the pitch. Those statements show that within the French camp there is an attempt to reduce the noise around the captain before matches in which the result will quickly become the only measure.
The debate about his role in attack is not disappearing
Dembélé’s defence of Mbappé does not mean that tactical questions have disappeared, especially because France have a wide selection of forwards with different profiles. On the official French Football Federation list, the forwards include, alongside Mbappé and Dembélé, Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola, Désiré Doué, Rayan Cherki, Marcus Thuram, Maghnes Akliouche and Jean-Philippe Mateta, which gives Deschamps many options, but also raises the question of balance. According to AS, citing L’Équipe, Dembélé earlier ahead of the tournament internally advised Mbappé to increase his defensive contribution so that France could be more compact. Such conversations do not necessarily have to point to conflict, but may reflect a shift in the hierarchy within a group in which Dembélé has an increasingly strong voice. In modern international football, especially at a tournament with a large number of matches and possible early punishments for tactical imbalance, attacking quality must be aligned with collective pressing, recovery runs and defensive discipline.
France want to avoid the debate overshadowing the start of the tournament
France were finalists at the last World Cup, and UEFA recalls that their best results are the world champion titles won in 1998 and 2018. Because of such continuity, Didier Deschamps’s team come to the tournament not only as one of the favourites in the group, but as a national team expected to fight for the closing stages. The French Football Federation states that the 2026 World Cup began on June 11 in Mexico and that the first round is being played in 16 host cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The same FFF overview says that Les Bleus have been placed in Group I with Senegal, Iraq and Norway, while UEFA states that after Senegal, France play Iraq on June 22 in Philadelphia and then Norway on June 26 in Boston. The schedule leaves little room for gradually easing into the tournament, because the very first match against Senegal carries symbolic weight and sporting risk.
Why Dembélé’s message matters for the dressing room
Dembélé’s statement carries special weight because it comes from a player who is not an outside observer, but a direct participant in the process through which France are trying to build attacking balance. In public, the two of them are often viewed through the prism of comparison, positions on the pitch and possible overlap in central attacking zones, but Dembélé sought in the interview to emphasize the human and collective aspect of his relationship with Mbappé. In doing so, he sent the message that within the national team there is no need for the discussion about formation to turn into a discussion about the captain’s character. Such a tone can be useful for Deschamps, because ahead of the tournament the coach must preserve the authority of the dressing room, while also leaving enough room for the most talented players to feel responsible for the shared plan. If France want to repeat their continuity of major results, their attack cannot be merely a collection of big names, but a functional unit in which individual freedom fits into duties without the ball.
Group I as the first test of French ambitions
According to FIFA’s guide to Group I, France begin against Senegal, Iraq and Norway, three opponents with different profiles and different stylistic demands. Senegal are the most demanding opening test because they are a physically strong national team that traditionally awakens unpleasant memories for France of the 2002 World Cup, when Senegal won in the tournament opener. Iraq will probably seek their chance through organized defending and transition, while Norway will present a different challenge in the final round because of their attacking power and directness. In such a group, Mbappé’s captaincy role may be particularly important, but equally important will be the readiness of Dembélé, Olise, Barcola, Doué and the other offensive players to adapt to the needs of the match. Dembélé’s defence of Mbappé can therefore also be read as an attempt to bring attention back to the collective, rather than to the constant questioning of one individual.
The answer to criticism will come on the pitch
The greatest paradox of the debate around Mbappé is that it revolves around a player who remains the central figure of one of the strongest national teams in the world, but precisely that status increases the demands. Dembélé warned that Mbappé is often spoken about as if he were no longer a person going through normal phases of form, adaptation and pressure, but a symbol onto whom every public frustration is projected. The France dressing room, at least according to the statements by Dembélé and Lucas Hernandez, is trying to show that the captain has the team’s support and that internal relationships cannot be reduced to external interpretations. Still, the sporting truth at the World Cup quickly becomes simplified: support from teammates is important for the atmosphere, but results and performances determine the tone of further discussions. That is why the match against Senegal on June 16 will be the first major answer to the question of whether France can simultaneously protect their captain from excessive pressure and build an attack effective enough for the highest goals.
Sources:
- Eurosport – report on Dembélé’s defence of Mbappé and statements ahead of France’s appearance at the World Cup (link)
- Fédération Française de Football – official overview of the French national team at the 2026 World Cup and information on Group I (link)
- Fédération Française de Football – official announcement on the French national team’s departure for Boston and camp during the tournament (link)
- Fédération Française de Football – official list of the latest French national-team selection (link)
- UEFA – overview of France at the 2026 World Cup, match schedule, captain and historical results (link)
- FIFA – guide to Group I of the 2026 World Cup and overview of France’s opponents (link)
- ESPN – report on the friendly match France – Ivory Coast 1-2 (link)
- ESPN – result and summary of the friendly match France – Northern Ireland 3-1 (link)
- AS – report on Dembélé’s advice to Mbappé and the debate about defensive contribution in the French national team (link)