Mbappe Vows More Defensive Work Ahead of World Cup
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- Kylian Mbappe vowed to increase his defensive work ahead of France's World Cup opener against Senegal on Tuesday, telling La Parisien: "I need to take the extra step because it's something important for the team."
- Mbappe's defensive metrics underline the criticism: he ranked 1,350th of 1,490 players in Europe's big five leagues for combined interceptions, blocks, tackles and possession won, and managed just 0.14 tackles per 90 minutes — the fifth lowest in the rankings.
- Ousmane Dembele publicly backed the France captain, saying the criticism of Mbappe had gone "too far" amid scrutiny of his performances and leadership for both club and country.
- Mbappe endured a difficult second season at Real Madrid with fan frustration and rumours of dressing room unrest as the club failed to win a trophy, though he finished as La Liga's top scorer after his 2024 move from Paris St-Germain.
- Mbappe has scored 12 goals in 14 World Cup matches, including a hat-trick in the 2022 final against Argentina, and one more goal would draw him level with Olivier Giroud as France's all-time top scorer in his first tournament as captain.
- After Senegal, France will face Iraq and Norway in their remaining group matches, with Mbappe having taken over the captaincy from Hugo Lloris in 2023.
Why it matters: Mbappe's public pledge carries weight because the data backs up the critics — 1,350th of 1,490 in Europe's top five leagues for combined defensive actions and 0.14 tackles per 90 minutes — and as France's newly installed captain, his willingness to own the weakness sets the tone for a squad that won the World Cup in 2018 and reached the 2022 final.
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