Kylian Mbappe has had enough of the narrative. Speaking to Telefoot on Sunday during France's international break in the United States, the Real Madrid captain addressed the criticism head-on, dismissed the suggestion he is managing his workload for the World Cup, and issued a pointed message to the Spanish press.
"In Spain, they are a little worried that I won't play. They think I'll just go straight to the World Cup," Mbappe said with a laugh. "But it's extremely important. The best way to arrive at the World Cup in top form is to win everything with Real Madrid."
The comments come after weeks of noise surrounding his knee injury recovery and a period of form that divided opinion across Spain. Mbappe missed four La Liga games earlier this season with a lingering knee issue and, upon his return, some in the Spanish media questioned whether his focus lay more with the Selecao bleu than with the Bernabeu. He had already pushed back on those claims in a separate interview with AS this week, saying he had made a full recovery and wanted to play every remaining game for his club. The Telefoot appearance amplified that message on a much bigger stage.
On the Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich, Mbappe was direct and respectful. "We are going to face a big team, probably the team in the best form in Europe right now. But if there is one team that can beat them, it is Real Madrid." Those words carry real weight given Bayern's form since the turn of the year, and they also reveal something about how the Real Madrid dressing room is approaching the tie.
The wide-ranging interview also covered his evolution as France captain, a role he has grown into markedly. "Before, I was the cherry on top, the young talent. Then I became an important player, the star. People took care of me. Now, in 2026, it is the complete opposite. It is me who has to take care of everyone." He added with a smile that the captaincy has taught him one clear lesson: "I have to go to more press conferences."
On the France squad and their World Cup prospects, Mbappe struck a careful balance between excitement and realism. "There is more talent, more potential than in 2022. But is it stronger? I don't know. The results will tell us. I have seen extremely talented France squads that didn't win. Only victory matters." He also pushed back on the idea that being considered favourites could be dangerous, but cautioned against complacency: "Senegal will come at us hard if we think we are already world champions. That is not the mentality of this team."
On life at Real Madrid more broadly, Mbappe showed an understanding of the intensity that comes with the territory. "People are very passionate. For them, Real Madrid is a religion. Anything to do with the club and me creates a buzz. Sometimes rightly so, sometimes not. At Real Madrid, everyone has been criticised. Even Cristiano Ronaldo. You have to deal with it and improve."
France beat Brazil 2-1 in their first friendly of the break and face Colombia on Tuesday. Mbappe scored the opener against Brazil and came through unscathed. Real Madrid will be hoping he does the same against Colombia before returning to Madrid ahead of the Bayern first leg on April 7.
