Deschamps defends captain Mbappé after criticism: 'Kylian is anything but a dictator'
National coach Didier Deschamps has spoken out against critical voices that describe Kylian Mbappé as a 'dictator' within the French national team. According to the trainer, Mbappé is an inspiring and mature captain who knows how to get the entire team behind him. With his decisive goals, he once again leads France to the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup.
Didier Deschamps responded strongly to the criticism surrounding his captain Kylian Mbappé after France's 1-0 victory over Paraguay. The French captain has been portrayed by some online commentators and on social media as too dominant a figure in both the national team and his club. “You are making Kylian Mbappé a dictator, while the opposite is true,” Deschamps said. "His public image is completely out of step with reality. Mbappé has always been mature and the entire team is behind him. I am very happy that he is our captain. On and off the field he speaks for the entire group."
Mbappé is once again of great value to Les Bleus this World Cup. He has scored seven goals in five World Cup matches so far, including the decisive penalty against Paraguay in the round of 16. With a total of 19 World Cup goals, he is now just one goal away from Lionel Messi's record. Remarkably, 11 of his goals came in the knockout stages.
It's not just his performance that is being looked at; Mbappe is also receiving attention for his running ability. Both he and Messi covered a remarkable number of their kilometers walking during the tournament (Mbappé 45%, Messi 47% of the total distance, with a minimum of 150 playing minutes).
Under Deschamps' leadership, France has qualified for the quarter-finals of a World Cup for the fourth time in a row (2014, 2018, 2022, 2026). Before that, the country only reached this stage of the tournament five times. Mbappe's strong performance as captain underlines his value and Deschamps' praise for his star player.
Related Articles
Related articles
Related articles
Teams
Álvaro Núñez na nederlaag van Celta bij Omonia
Álvaro Núñez reageert na Celta’s nederlaag bij Omonia Nicosia: te weinig kansen, grote efficiëntieproblemen en de noodzaak om zaterdag tegen Racing de Santander de ban te breken. Sergio Carreira roept het team op een stap naar voren te zetten.
Teams
Deze amateurclubs zijn van de partij in de eerste ronde van
Met vier direct geplaatste teams en veertien kwalificanten is het deelnemersveld voor de KNVB Beker grotendeels bekend. De loting voor de eerste ronde volgt vrijdag, waarbij ook clubs uit de Keuken Kampioen Divisie en Eredivisie instromen.
Teams
Laatste getuige in Maradona-proces: dood door covid-19 valt
Forensisch expert Pablo Ferrari, als laatste getuige gehoord in het proces rond de dood van Diego Maradona, stelt dat covid-19 als doodsoorzaak niet kan worden uitgesloten omdat bij de autopsie geen test is gedaan. Zijn visie wijkt af van eerdere experts en kan belangrijk zijn voor de verdediging van arts Leopoldo Luque.
Teams
Cristiano Ronaldo opent zich over kritiek tijdens Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo reageerde tijdens het Portugal Football Summit op de aanhoudende kritiek die hij als topspeler ervaart. Ondanks de meningen van critici blijft hij zich gesteund voelen door zijn fans en blijft hij gefocust op zijn prestaties op het veld.