Mbappe heads to World Cup with critics circling after challenging season in Madrid

[p]The [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/france/QkGeVG1n/"]France[/a] captain drew ‌a blank in warm-up games against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ivory-coast/G2FRjBgn/"]Ivory Coast[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/northern-ireland/lQADNSWu/"]Northern Ireland[/a] and ended the season ‌at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/real-madrid/W8mj7MDD/"]Real Madrid[/a] without a trophy, despite finishing as La ‌Liga's top scorer.[/p][p]His performances, leadership and behaviour away from the pitch have become ‌regular talking points after Real Madrid fell short in both the ‌Champions League and the domestic title race.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mbappe-kylian/Wn6E2SED/"]Mbappe[/a] has also come under fire over his leadership since succeeding [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lloris-hugo/dlT4erCr/"]Hugo Lloris[/a] as captain in 2023, with 1998 World Cup winner [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/leboeuf-frank/t2OQVQc8/"]‌Frank Leboeuf[/a] among those to question whether he ⁠is the right man to ‌lead Les Bleus.[/p][image alt="Mbappe's 2025/26 stats" id="48f19271-4337-4c24-8f80-498b053ebfac" credit-line="StatsPerform via Opta" guid="2f7f3492-bd90-408f-9a57-4d9276e2c79d" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]Yet inside the France camp, support for Mbappe appears unwavering.[/p][p]Ballon d'Or winner [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dembele-ousmane/zsMC2Ec0/"]​Ousmane Dembele[/a], who has emerged as one of the team's most influential figures, said the criticism directed at his long-time ​teammate and close friend had gone too far.[/p][p][b]"The criticism towards him is very, very unfair,"[/b] Dembele told Spanish newspaper Marca this week.[/p][p]"Some people overdo ⁠the criticism because he's ​Kylian Mbappe. They shouldn't keep going after him. 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.[/p][p][b]"With the France team, he's very good ‌with us, he's a leader."[/b][/p][p]Defender [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hernandez-lucas/x2fvnkud/"]Lucas Hernandez[/a] struck a similar tone, saying Mbappe remained fully focused despite the noise around him.[/p][p][b]"When you're Kylian Mbappe, everyone looks at everything you do, on the pitch and off the pitch,"[/b] Hernandez said.[/p][p]"He's 100% motivated for the World Cup. All the criticism there has been this season, he's going to silence it."[/p][embed guid="20c5ce9d-0931-4ada-b74f-896cabcc11a4" url="https://x.com/TouchlineX/status/2063671664085262379" social-type="twitter" /][p]France are among the favourites to lift the trophy and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/deschamps-didier/M9jPX2nf/"]Didier Deschamps[/a] is embarking on his final tournament in charge, giving Mbappe an immediate opportunity to ‌turn the conversation back to what he does best.[/p][p]If there is ​one stage on which Mbappe rarely disappoints, it is the World ‌Cup, where France will also face [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/iraq/K8aAGt6r/"]Iraq[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/norway/8rP6JO0H/"]Norway[/a] in Group I.[/p][p]He has struck 12 times in 14 World Cup matches, leaving him only four goals short of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/klose-miroslav/tO31cZrF/"]Miroslav Klose[/a]'s all-time record of 16 and offering a reminder of how quickly he can silence ⁠his critics.[/p][p]Another goal would put him ⁠top of the list of ‌France's all-time scorers alongside the retired [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/giroud-olivier/AJPBp2as/"]Olivier Giroud[/a] (57).[/p][infobox id="4ccc1b10-d68f-4c97-bcf4-5e613c17c2e3" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/france-QkGeVG1n/senegal-hOIsJLJr/?mid=ALxYcMw2"]Follow France vs Senegal with Flashscore[/a][/b].[/p]