Why is Kylian Mbappe admired worldwide but not loved in his own country?

As the French national team embarked on their 2026 World Cup campaign, all eyes were on Kylian Mbappe. This was unsurprising. At 27, the Real Madrid striker possessed almost everything a player could dream of: a World Cup title, numerous individual accolades, incredible goalscoring records, and the status of one of the biggest stars on the planet.

But the biggest paradox in Mbappe’s career is that the more successful he becomes, the more controversy surrounds him. While the rest of the world sees Mbappe as the face of modern football, in France, and especially in Madrid, many question whether he is truly as good for the team as the statistics suggest.

A genius doesn’t need to prove his talent.

Few players in history possess such an impressive record as Mbappe at just over 27 years old. He won the World Cup with France at the age of 19. Four years later, Mbappe scored a hat-trick in the final against Argentina but still lost on penalties.

Since the era of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, very few players have been able to maintain such a high level for such a long time as the French star. At Real Madrid, Mbappe continued to score at an incredible pace. After only two seasons, he had 86 goals in 103 matches.

That’s a performance that most of the world’s top strikers can only dream of. But football has never been judged solely by the number of goals.

The problem lies in what Mbappe isn’t doing.

In modern football, forwards no longer just wait for opportunities in the penalty box. Pressing, defensive support, and applying pressure from the front line are becoming mandatory requirements for every attacking star. This is precisely what has drawn the most criticism for Mbappe.

According to statistics from the top five European leagues last season, Mbappe was among the players with the lowest defensive contributions. His metrics for tackles, interceptions, and ball recoveries were all very low compared to the average. For many Real Madrid fans, this is the biggest problem.

They don’t doubt Mbappe’s goal-scoring ability. They doubt whether a team can function optimally when its star player is almost completely uninvolved in the defensive system. This is also why Real Madrid hasn’t been able to regain its dominance despite possessing the league’s best striker.

From Hero to Target of Criticism

Fans’ frustration intensified after an incident in May. While Real Madrid was going through a difficult period and Mbappe was sidelined with injury, he was spotted on a yacht with his girlfriend, Ester Exposito, in Sardinia.

Theoretically, an injured player has every right to rest. But in the eyes of many Madridistas, that image felt insensitive to the team’s situation. It could have just been a normal vacation. However, in the age of social media, images are sometimes just as important as on-field performance.

PSG wins the World Cup, and Mbappe becomes the subject of debate.

Another factor that frequently leads to comparisons with PSG is their success after he left.

Since 2024, the French team has won the Champions League twice, prioritizing teamwork over a single superstar. This has led many to hypothesize that modern football is no longer suited to a system built around a single individual.

And Mbappe has inadvertently become the symbol of this debate. Not because he’s incompetent, but because he’s so outstanding. So outstanding that every team has to adjust its system to accommodate him.

The 2026 World Cup could change everything.

However, the criticism will quickly disappear if Mbappe shines in the US. Just one more goal and he will equal Olivier Giroud’s all-time goalscoring record for the French national team. If he scores four more goals, Mbappe will equal Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 World Cup goals – a record that has stood for over a decade.

More importantly, the French team possesses one of the most formidable attacking lineups in the tournament. Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise, Rayan Cherki, Desire Doue, Bradley Barcola, and Marcus Thuram form a highly creative and fast-paced team.

In theory, this is a squad capable of winning the World Cup. But to achieve that, every star must be willing to sacrifice for the team. And no one needs to prove that more than Mbappe.

he question that could decide the fate of the French national team

In a recent interview, Mbappe was asked if he was willing to participate more in defense. Interestingly, the question wasn’t asked by a journalist. It was Ethan Mbappe, his younger brother.

“Hey Kyky, are you going to put in the effort to press and defend someday?” Mbappe laughed.

But then he gave the answer that Didier Deschamps and French fans most wanted to hear: “I need to do more for the team. If we want to win, I’m willing to do anything.”

That might just be a statement. But it could also be the most important promise for the French national team at the 2026 World Cup.

Because Mbappe’s talent has never been in doubt. What the whole world is waiting to see is whether he is willing to become part of the team, instead of always being the center of it.