France forward Ousmane Dembele and former midfielder Paul Pogba have strongly defended national team captain Kylian Mbappe amid growing scrutiny over his defensive work rate and recent performances for club and country ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
The France squad recently arrived in Boston to establish their tournament base following mixed results in pre-tournament friendlies, including a 2-1 loss to Ivory Coast and a 3-1 victory against Northern Ireland.
Mbappe has faced intense pressure from supporters and media alike after Real Madrid failed to win a trophy this season, alongside reports from L'Equipe of a locker room confrontation where Dembele urged Mbappe to increase his defensive pressing.
"The criticism towards him is very, very unfair. Some people go a bit too far with the criticism of Kylian," Dembele told Spanish newspaper Marca.
Dembele highlighted that Mbappe remains a highly capable leader for Les Bleus despite the intense media focus on his personal life and off-field choices.
"He's an incredible player and a very good person off the pitch. Some people overdo the criticism because he's Kylian Mbappe.
They shouldn't keep going after him," added Dembele.
The forward expressed frustration at the microscopic level of attention directed toward the Real Madrid striker.
"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," continued Dembele.
Dembele also praised outgoing head coach Didier Deschamps, who will leave his position after the tournament.
"He's simply an exceptional coach," said Dembele.
The forward expressed confidence that Deschamps has secured his place in the history of the national team.
"He will forever remain a legend among French national team coaches," stated Dembele.
When questioned about Zinedine Zidane potentially taking over the national team bench, Dembele welcomed the prospect.
"We hope to welcome him one day to the France bench. I'm convinced he would do a fantastic job," added Dembele.
The atmosphere inside the French camp drew further attention after social media footage showed an apparently cold exchange between Mbappe and N'Golo Kante in the tunnel before the Ivory Coast match.
Friction reportedly developed between the two players on March 29, 2026, when Kante was asked to hand over the captain's armband to Mbappe during a match against Colombia.
Mbappe also faced backlash from fans after leaving the training camp with federation approval following the Northern Ireland friendly, later appearing in social media images in Madrid.
Former France international Paul Pogba dismissed the negative commentary, pointing to Mbappe's high scoring output of 42 goals in all competitions for Real Madrid despite an injury-plagued second half of the season.
"Can you imagine me [saying] that he had a little difficult season, and this difficult season would be the best season ever for almost all the strikers," said Pogba.
Pogba argued that the high expectations placed on Mbappe distort the public perception of his actual achievements on the pitch.
"That's how good he is," noted Pogba.
The midfielder emphasized that a 40-goal season should not be viewed as a failure under any circumstances.
"For him to score 40 goals a year is a difficult season, so I don't know. I'm just saying, for me, it's not a bad season!"
remarked Pogba.
Pogba concluded his assessment by cementing Mbappe's status among modern center-forwards.
"He's the best striker of his generation. Period," stated Pogba.
Pogba also praised Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise, who scored a hat-trick against Northern Ireland and registered 34 German Bundesliga goal involvements this season.
"He's a player I've watched the most this year. I enjoy the way he plays, how smart he is," said Pogba regarding Olise.
The veteran midfielder lauded Olise's maturity and his capacity to consistently make efficient decisions during matches.
"He's been one of the best players this season, if not the best. He plays simple, but simple is difficult," added Pogba.
According to Pogba, Olise possesses the necessary qualities to keep opposing defensive lines off-balance.
"He does simple things at the right time – when to pass the ball, when to dribble, when to shoot.
It makes him unpredictable," explained Pogba.
When asked about Dembele, who won the Ligue 1 and Champions League titles with Paris Saint-Germain, Pogba emphasized the value of his tournament history.
"You don't expect – they know what to do. He was there for the World Cup in 2018," said Pogba.
Pogba noted that Dembele and Mbappe bring vital leadership as veteran figures within the current squad.
"He has won it before; he has experience, like Kylian. He's part of the old guys now!
He knows what to do; he's definitely a big help for France," added Pogba.
Pogba also expressed admiration for Manchester City's Rayan Cherki, who enters the tournament after winning two trophies this season.
"Big talent, big guy – I love his football; it's like street football," said Pogba about Cherki.
France will begin their World Cup group stage campaign against Senegal on Tuesday, June 16, before facing fellow Group I opponents Iraq and Norway.
