Ousmane Dembélé addressed the relentless criticism aimed at Kylian Mbappé, firmly backing his international teammate ahead of the tournament. Just days before France kicks off their 2026 World Cup campaign against Iraq, captain Kylian Mbappé has drawn heavy criticism across his country after temporarily leaving the national team camp for personal reasons—a departure that was fully authorized by the French coaching staff. Amid the brewing media storm surrounding the forward, his longtime international teammate Ousmane Dembélé stepped up to defend the Real Madrid superstar. “They have been very unfair to him. They go a bit too far with the criticism of Kylian because he is an incredible player and a great person off the pitch,” Dembélé stated in an exclusive interview with MARCA. “I’ve known him for a long time. They cross the line with the criticism simply because it’s Kylian Mbappé. People don’t need to be so harsh on him”. Mbappé has found himself in the eye of a media hurricane since before even reporting for international duty. During the final stretch of Real Madrid’s domestic season, the forward suffered a minor injury. While undergoing rehabilitation, he was spotted traveling with his partner, a move that sparked significant frustration among the demanding fan base of the Spanish giants. ⚽🏆 El Balón de Oro @dembouz se sienta con MARCA antes del debut de Les Bleus ante Senegal: Mbappé, Messi, Luis Enrique, Deschamps o Zidane, sobre la mesa, y por supuesto, España ✍️ @polomarca https://t.co/C873RrkBsV— MARCA (@marca) June 12, 2026 For Dembélé, the constant scrutiny directed at Mbappé has transcended footballing matters, crossing a line into absurd territory. “If he ties his shoelaces, if he doesn’t tie them, if he pulls up his socks, if he doesn’t… it’s just too much,” the Paris Saint-Germain winger continued. “At the end of the day, he is still a human being, as well as being a player of exceptional quality”. Dembélé defends Mbappé’s leadership role with France Rumors regarding a fractured locker room within the French national team began to surface following Les Bleus‘ shocking 2-1 friendly defeat to the Ivory Coast before the 2026 World Cup kick off. During the pre-match buildup, clip segments went viral showing an alleged tension point where veteran midfielder N’Golo Kanté and Mbappé supposedly bypassed shaking hands before stepping onto the pitch. The viral footage ignited immediate controversy, causing media outlets to question Mbappé’s standing and influence within the national team dynamic. However, Dembélé was quick to silence the speculation, emphasizing that Mbappé remains an exemplary leader who commands total respect from the locker room. “Here in the French national team, he gets along great with all of us. He is a leader, the captain of our team, and an incredibly important player for what we want to achieve,” Dembélé concluded. As France prepares to begin their quest for a third global title, Didier Deschamps and his squad are actively closing ranks, choosing to ignore the outside noise as their captain prepares to rejoin the group ahead of the opening whistle.