PARIS — In an interview with France Football published Friday, Kylian Mbappé said he did not enjoy all of the AI-generated memes that portrayed him as a dictator on social media during the World Cup. The Associated Press reported the comments.
The memes showed the France captain and Real Madrid forward in military outfits, on a throne, and next to Soviet leader Josef Stalin and other controversial leaders. The comparisons to figures associated with historical tragedies were the part Mbappé did not like.
“There’s a part of it that’s funny because you can tell that, for some people, it’s good-natured,” Mbappé said. “There’s also a part that’s a little less funny because we know the damage that people like that have caused throughout history. Being compared to people who murder others, or who have made millions and millions of people miserable. … I don’t think I’ve done that in my life. So there’s a mixture of things.”
“I know it’s done in a light-hearted way and that it doesn’t go that far, but sometimes it shows a lack of political and human awareness among people,” Mbappé continued.
In 2024, Mbappé’s lawyer sent a legal notice to French influencer Mohamed Henni over a kebab dish Henni had named after him, Goal reported. Henni answered in an Instagram video by saying Mbappé had turned his name into a dictatorship. During Argentina’s 3-1 quarterfinal win over Switzerland at Kansas City Stadium on July 11, streamer IShowSpeed called over a fan wearing a military-style outfit with “Mbappé 10 Dictator” printed across the back, Complex reported.
Mbappé scored 10 goals at the World Cup in North America and finished with 22 in his career, one more than Lionel Messi. He became the first player since 1970 to score 10 goals at a single World Cup. The total won him the Golden Boot for the second straight World Cup.
Spain beat France 2-0 in the July 14 semifinal at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, which FIFA called Dallas Stadium during the tournament. The crowd was announced at 70,176. It was the last of nine World Cup matches at the stadium, which hosted more than any other 2026 venue. Messi had set the men’s World Cup scoring record there on June 22, when he scored twice in Argentina’s 2-0 win over Austria.
Four days after the semifinal, Mbappé scored his 21st and 22nd World Cup goals in France’s 6-4 loss to England in the third-place match in Miami Gardens, Florida. Afterward, he said he “would have preferred not to be the all-time top scorer and to be playing tomorrow’s match,” AFP reported. Messi, 39, did not score in Argentina’s 1-0 extra-time loss to Spain in the final on July 19. He announced his retirement from the Argentina national team on Aug. 31.
Ousmane Dembélé’s ‘Mobut’ Nickname And Didier Deschamps On The Dictator Memes
France teammate Ousmane Dembélé has called Mbappé “Mobut,” a reference to former autocratic leader Mobutu Sese Seko. Mobutu ruled what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo from 1965 to 1997. Mbappé said Dembélé picked up the nickname online.
“With Ousmane, it’s something is different,” Mbappé explained. “He picked it up from social media. With him, it’s just a joke.”
France beat Paraguay 1-0 in the round of 16 on July 4 in Philadelphia. Mbappé scored the only goal on a penalty. Then-France coach Didier Deschamps said afterward that the whole team followed Mbappé, in comments reported by beIN Sports.
“You guys make Kylian Mbappé seem like a dictator… the reality is the opposite,” Deschamps said. “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,” Deschamps continued. “Whenever he speaks on and off the pitch, he represents the whole group.”
Kylian Mbappé And Ousmane Dembélé Among Ballon d’Or Nominees
France Football revealed the 30 men’s nominees for the Ballon d’Or on Tuesday, with Mbappé, Dembélé, and Messi all on the list. The award will be presented Oct. 26 in London. Dembélé won last year’s award after Paris Saint-Germain won its first Champions League title. Messi has won a record eight Ballon d’Or awards. Mbappé’s best finish in the voting was third in 2023.
On Monday, Mbappé spoke in Madrid before Real Madrid’s Champions League opener, in an availability reported by The Associated Press. Comparisons with other players are not something he likes to make, because he does a lot of things others do not.
“There are many people who speak about me and the Ballon d’Or,” Mbappé said. “Of course I’ve made history in the most important competition. Maybe it’s a good year for this, but people can vote according to what they think.”
“I think when you play for Real Madrid, the best club in the world, people automatically associate you with this award,” Mbappé added.
Last season, Mbappé scored 42 goals in 44 matches for Real Madrid, which finished without a major trophy. On Tuesday, he scored in the 14th minute of a 2-1 win over Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabéu. The goal was his fifth of the season. It was also his 71st in the Champions League, tied for fifth on the competition’s career list.
Four days before the Inter match, Real Madrid lost 1-0 at Real Betis. It was the first loss of Real Madrid coach José Mourinho’s second spell with the club. Madrid hosts Rayo Vallecano on Saturday at the Santiago Bernabéu, with kickoff at 2 p.m. CT.
