France winger Ousmane Dembélé has launched a robust defence of Kylian Mbappé, insisting the Real Madrid forward is being unfairly targeted for his club’s recent struggles.

Mbappé, who arrived at Madrid on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in 2024, has endured a turbulent spell in Spain. Despite his status as one of the game’s elite talents, he has been jeered by sections of the Bernabéu crowd and even found himself the subject of an online petition demanding his departure, which astonishingly attracted millions of signatures.

Madrid’s difficulties have only sharpened the focus on the France captain. While his former club PSG have gone on to win two Champions League titles since his exit, Madrid have faltered both in LaLiga and in Europe, prompting many supporters and pundits to pin the blame on their marquee signing.

Dembélé, speaking to Spanish newspaper Marca, rejected that narrative and called for a more measured assessment of his international teammate.

“The criticism towards him is very, very unfair. Some people go a bit too far with the criticism of Kylian,” Dembélé said. “He’s an incredible player and a very good person off the pitch. Some people overdo the criticism because he’s Kylian Mbappé. They shouldn’t keep going after him.”

Dembélé argued that the scrutiny has become obsessive, extending to trivial aspects of Mbappé’s behaviour. “Whether he ties his shoelaces or not, whether he pulls up his socks or not… it’s too much. He’s still a human being. With the France team, he’s very good with us, he’s a leader.”

The pair are central to France’s ambitions as they prepare for another World Cup campaign, with Didier Deschamps expected to step down after the tournament. Deschamps, who led France to the 2018 title and the 2022 final, remains, in Dembélé’s words, “a legend among French national team coaches.”

Attention is already turning to a possible successor, with former Real Madrid coach and France icon Zinedine Zidane heavily linked to the role. Dembélé welcomed that prospect. “We hope to welcome him one day to the France bench. I’m convinced he would do a fantastic job.”

Dembélé, a scorer in the 2018 final, and Mbappé, who hit a hat trick in the 2022 showpiece defeat to Argentina, now aim to turn individual brilliance into another global crown, even as the debate around Mbappé’s club form rages on.