Kylian Mbappe, captain of the French national team, faces scrutiny ahead of their World Cup opener against Senegal on Tuesday. His performance in warm-up games and lack of a trophy at Real Madrid have raised questions about his readiness for the tournament.
Despite these criticisms, support for Mbappe remains strong within the France camp. Teammate Ousmane Dembele dismisses the criticism as unfair, emphasizing Mbappe’s leadership qualities and positive impact on the team.
Defender Lucas Hernandez echoes this sentiment, noting that Mbappe is fully focused on the World Cup despite external noise. His performance in previous tournaments has been consistent, with 12 goals in 14 matches, including a chance to break Miroslav Klose’s all-time record of 16 goals.
France, favorites for the tournament, will face Iraq and Norway in Group I under coach Didier Deschamps, who is set to oversee his final major international event.