Dembele says criticism of France captain Mbappe has gone too far

France forward Ousmane Dembele has defended captain ‌Kylian Mbappe, saying criticism of the Real Madrid striker has become excessive as the national team prepares for the World Cup.

Dembele, who has emerged ​as a key figure for France at the tournament and is a contender for this year's Ballon d'Or after helping Paris St Germain win the Champions League, told Spanish newspaper Marca that some commentators had gone too far in their assessment of his long-time teammate.

Mbappe remains one of ​the most scrutinised figures in French football since leaving PSG and joining Real Madrid in 2024.

Despite still being a prolific scorer, the France captain came ⁠under criticism during a season in which Real failed to win either La Liga or the Champions ‌League, ‌while ​some pundits and supporters have questioned his leadership with the national team since he inherited the captaincy following Hugo Lloris's retirement from international football.

Mbappe's performances, public appearances and even minor ⁠aspects of his behaviour regularly attract intense debate ​in France.

"The criticism towards him is very, very unfair," ​Dembele said before France start their World Cup campaign against Senegal on Tuesday. "Some people go a bit too far with ‌the criticism of Kylian.

"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. 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 have developed a close relationship during their years together with Les Bleus. They are expected to play central roles