Van der Vaart defends Kylian Mbappe against “arrogant” label

Kylian Mbappe’s willingness to handle pressure has triggered heated debate since his breakthrough in 2017.

The 2018 World Cup winner, known as a relentless competitor deeply passionate about his craft, constantly faces criticism linked to what some describe as an oversized ego.

In an interview with Aceodds, Dutch legend Rafael van der Vaart expressed frustration with these persistent judgments.

“When people say Mbappe is arrogant, it annoys me a bit, especially now that PSG has won two Champions Leagues. Everyone says: yes, we can see clearly that he was the problem, and don’t misunderstand… PSG has many good players, but not one single true global star,” van der Vaart stated.

“He was the club’s global star. When you play with a player like him, other good players become more discreet. He was under pressure and he was blamed when PSG didn’t win. Now he’s gone and the pressure is shared. It’s much easier for them than with him. He always scored many goals, like at Real Madrid. He had the pressure to score. Real Madrid supporters constantly criticize him and I don’t understand why. He was, by far, their best player this season!”

Van der Vaart drew comparisons to Cristiano Ronaldo: “Mbappe is proving himself at Real Madrid, just like Cristiano Ronaldo. His team wasn’t at the level. At a club like Real Madrid, everyone gets criticized and called crazy. When Ronaldo played there and didn’t win, he was always pointed at. But what I noticed playing there is that having only one star isn’t good. Ronaldo scored 60 goals per season and Mbappe does the same. The other Real Madrid players weren’t at the level this season. It’s difficult trying to be the best constantly, but it’s simply false to say Mbappe is worth nothing”.