‘The Opposite of a Dictator’: Deschamps fiercely defends French captain Kylian Mbappé amid criticism

France head coach Didier Deschamps has rallied behind his team captain Kylian Mbappé after the ace striker faced criticism over his leadership style, saying that his dressing-room persona is completely different from how he is portrayed in the public eye. He addressed the scrutiny around Mbappé’s methods following the team’s quarterfinal qualification, dismissing rumours that the captain’s armband transformed Mbappé into someone he is not.

“No, he hasn’t changed. You guys make Kylian Mbappé seem like a dictator… the reality is the opposite,” Deschamps said to the reporters after the match.

The head coach was also quick to respond to chatter around Mbappé’s public image, which has become a subject of intense social media scrutiny. The perception goes back to his PSG days, when reports of him wielding unprecedented influence over club affairs, including appointing managers, shaping squads and influencing dynamics, often made headlines.

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“His public image does not reflect reality at all. Kylian has always been mature, and the whole team follows him. I am so happy to have Kylian as captain. Whenever he speaks on and off the pitch, he represents the whole group,” Deschamps said of his team captain, who has now equalled Lionel Messi’s tally (7) of most goals scored in this edition thus far.

‘I prepared the players’

Deschamps reflected on the challenging game against Paraguay, which France won 1-0, and qualified for the quarterfinals. Speaking of the physicality of this pulsating fixture, Deschamps revealed he prepared his players for a similar outing, suggesting he knew what was coming his team’s way.

“I’ve seen a lot of things,” Deschamps said. “I prepared the players. They were expecting this game. I don’t want to criticise Paraguay. Each team plays the way they want. But there were some insults from the other bench, which I could have done without.

“The most important thing is that by the end of the game, there were no disagreements and we didn’t pick up another card,” he added.

Meanwhile, the player in question here, Kylian Mbappé, is leading the race for the Golden Boot, with Argentina’s Messi also tied with seven goals but in four outings. Mbappé, however, has the most G/A contributions, with two assists to his name, leading Messi by one. But his teammate, Michael Olise, leads the assists tally, with five and counting to his name in his maiden World Cup.