Kylian Mbappé is back with the French national team, rejoining the squad after a string of absences, with coach Didier Deschamps keen to see him settle into his starring role at Real Madrid.
Now a cornerstone of Carlo Ancelotti’s lineup, Mbappé is under pressure to rediscover his peak form for Les Bleus.
With Antoine Griezmann stepping away from international duty, the spotlight turns to Mbappé to lead, though Ousmane Dembélé currently dazzling as one of the world’s top talents—stands ready to share the mantle. Dembélé has been unstoppable, racking up an incredible 30 goals for PSG in 2025 alone, and it’s only mid-March.
Mbappé, a longtime friend and fan of Dembélé, couldn’t be happier about his teammate’s ascent, as he revealed in a candid chat with Le Parisien.
“Seeing this doing this personally moves me, because I know how much they criticized and mocked. Ousmane reached maturity at age 27, something normal in football. Some players are more early, so others could have thought that it was late. But no, Ousmane Dembélé never was late; It is the normal evolution of a footballer, to reach its maximum potential at age 27,” he said.
“He still has many years wonderful ahead. I am very happy for him and I hope he continues. He deserves everything he is achieving, has worked hard for it, and I hope he maintains this rhythm with the French team until 2026, so that we can be world champions,” he added.
