Just a month before football’s biggest tournament begins, a quintessential World Cup hero is being booed by his own supporters at the Santiago Bernabeu.
He was only the second teenager after Pelé to score in a World Cup final. He was also only the second player after Geoff Hurst to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final.
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A World Cup winner at 19, Mbappé rose to global stardom after helping France national football team win the 2018 FIFA World Cup, scoring in the final as a teenager. Four years later, he carried France to another final and produced a stunning hat-trick, albeit in a losing cause.
Achievements like these should have placed Mbappé firmly in conversations about football’s all-time greats. Yet here he is, facing criticism for being too “individualistic” on the pitch.
Why Real Madrid supporters are frustrated
For the last few months, Real Madrid CF supporters have increasingly voiced frustration with him. Despite scoring 41 goals this season, criticism has refused to die down. The biggest complaint against Mbappé is his perceived selfishness. Another accusation often directed at him is his unwillingness to track back defensively. Even sections of the French media have echoed this narrative.
Recent remarks from Mbappé and Real Madrid interim coach Álvaro Arbeloa have further fuelled speculation about a possible rift.
The only reassuring sign ahead of the World Cup is that France coach Didier Deschamps continues to back his captain completely. A few months ago, Deschamps even confronted journalists over the criticism surrounding Mbappé.
“If you expect him to run at least 11 km per match, don’t bother, he won’t do it. You either love him or you don’t. Young people adore him,” Deschamps said.
More than just a football superstar
The argument about Mbappé’s popularity among the youth is certainly not wrong. His France jersey remains among the best-selling football shirts in the country. He has also openly spoken against the rise of anti-immigrant far-right politics in France, earning support from several national teammates, many of whom come from immigrant families themselves.
But the criticism persists. One far-right politician even remarked, “We know what Mbappé does. PSG won the Champions League after he left and will probably win another.”
Former Paris Saint-Germain F.C. coach Luis Enrique had famously claimed that PSG would improve after Mbappé’s departure to Real Madrid. Didier Deschamps, on the other hand, wants to build France around Mbappé. In many ways, both managers believe they are right.
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And now Mbappé stands at a crossroads before another World Cup.
If he succeeds once again, he could firmly cement his place among football’s immortals. But if he fails, he may continue carrying an adjective that has begun to follow him everywhere — “selfish” — alongside others like “talented”, “great”, and “successful”.
