Kylian Mbappe addressed the viral "dictator" memes comparing him to Mobutu, saying the joke sometimes reveals a lack of historical awareness. Kylian Mbappe has finally addressed the social media trend depicting him as an authoritarian figure, complete with military uniforms and the nickname “Mobutu,” a reference to the former Democratic Republic of Congo strongman who ruled for over two decades. “There is a part that is funny because we feel that, for some people, it’s good natured. There is also a part that is a little less funny because we know the damage that these kinds of people have caused in history. To be compared to people who murder people, or who have made millions and millions of people unhappy… I don’t think I’ve ever done that in my life,” Mbappe said in an interview with L’Equipe as part of the outlet’s Ballon d’Or coverage. The Real Madrid forward acknowledged the joke comes from a place of humor within the game, adding that the comparison sometimes reflects a broader lack of historical awareness rather than any real malice. The interview comes as Mbappe positions himself as one of the frontrunners for this year’s Ballon d’Or, having topped the scoring charts in LaLiga, the Champions League and the World Cup, putting him in direct competition with the likes of Rodri, Harry Kane and Lamine Yamal for football’s most prestigious individual honor. Kylian Mbappé reacts to the "Dictator" memes 😭Find everything about him: https://t.co/6vZvjTg559#ballondor #mbappe #realmadrid pic.twitter.com/ErkO2LWyC2— Ballon d'Or (@ballondor) September 11, 2026 How the meme started The joke traces back to Mbappe’s rise to become the undisputed leading man at PSG, with fans jokingly suggesting he had engineered the departures of both Lionel Messi and Neymar from the club in order to cement his own status as the central figure in Paris. From there, the comparison snowballed into military-themed edits and the “Mobutu” nickname that has since spread widely across social media. What started as a niche joke among supporters eventually found its way into the locker room, with teammates like Ousmane Dembele picking up on the bit rather than shutting it down, only fueling the trend further as it followed Mbappe from PSG to his new chapter at Real Madrid. Mbappe sees himself as a strong contender for the Ballon d’Or Beyond the meme talk, Mbappe used the same interview to make his case for the Ballon d’Or itself. “There isn’t a single player who had a better season than me,” he told L’Equipe, adding, “I believe I have chances“. The Real Madrid forward argued that his lack of collective silverware shouldn’t overshadow an individual campaign he considers unmatched. Mbappe went further, revealing he has considered himself the best player in the world for years and would not have traded places with anyone else who has won the award, including Messi or Ronaldo.
Cristiano Ronaldo will be without Kingsley Coman and two other teammates for Al Nassr's clash with Al Khaleej, as the club manages its squad ahead of the AFC Champions League Elite opener. Cristiano Ronaldo is set to be without one of his key attacking options once again, as Kingsley Coman will not travel with the Al Nassr squad for Saturday’s Saudi Pro League clash against Al Khaleej. According to The Nassr Tribune, Coman continues his recovery from the hamstring injury he picked up during Al Nassr‘s match against Al Ittihad, when he was forced off in the 60th minute. An MRI scan confirmed the issue as a mild hamstring tear, with the Frenchman advised to take at least a week of rest before being reassessed. Coman won’t be the only absentee for the trip, as Abdulrahman Ghareeb and Ayman Yahya will also stay behind and miss out on the match, further thinning Ronaldo’s supporting cast for the fixture. The good news for Al Nassr is that Coman’s absence is expected to be short-lived, with the club’s medical staff targeting his return in time for the AFC Champions League Elite opener against Al Ain on September 15, a continental debut Ronaldo will be eager to have his full squad available for. Dammam 📍 pic.twitter.com/LlbLJaMnGU— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) September 11, 2026 Logistics are also being managed with that fixture in mind: rather than flying back to Riyadh after facing Al Khaleej in Dammam, the squad will travel directly to the UAE, a decision made by Ange Postecoglou to cut down on fatigue and give his players extra recovery time before kickoff against Al Ain. Postecoglou could rotate his squad against Al Khaleej With Al Nassr eager to start their AFC Champions League Elite campaign on the right foot against Al Ain just three days later, Postecoglou is reportedly expected to manage his squad’s workload against Al Khaleej, limiting minutes for some of his key players, Ronaldo included, to ensure the team arrives at peak fitness for the continental opener. Al Nassr came agonizingly close to continental glory last season, falling 1-0 to Gamba Osaka in the AFC Champions League Two final back in May. With Ronaldo and company now moving up to the more prestigious AFC Champions League Elite, the club is determined to put together a strong campaign in Asia’s top club competition after last season’s heartbreak.
The league phase has begun. From Olise’s brilliance to Sabah’s pub cleaner turned quiz contestant turned manager, there was plenty to talk aboutThe league phase has been previewed as Barcelona’s first step toward reclaiming a crown last lifted in 2015, with disappointments aplenty since. Lionel Messi claiming just one Champions League title in the last decade of his time at Camp Nou is the starkest statistic. The player anointed as Messi’s successor, Lamine Yamal, is already a European and world champion for Spain, so this is the next frontier. A soggy Wednesday evening at Camp Nou saw Hansi Flick’s team show their attacking chops remain of the highest quality in a 5-1 defeat of Feyenoord. The club presidential regime of Joan Laporta continues to pull levers to confound financial experts, with Gabriel Jesus, one of the summer’s arrivals, scoring his first Barca goal. Yamal got on the scoresheet via a scruffy free-kick after Raphinha had reminded there are further dimensions to that all-star attack, his first goal of his pair two sending Feyenoord defenders skidding. Continue reading...
Tap a headline to view metadata and excerpt fields in Sportra, then use the article website button to continue on the original publisher page.
/https%3A%2F%2Fsportsmole-media-prod.s3.gra.io.cloud.ovh.net%2Fuploads%2F2026%2F09%2Fvincent-kompany-15-6aa46987742bc087922383.jpg)