Kylian Mbappe ranked near the bottom of Europe's top leagues in defensive output last season. He says that is going to change.
According to BBC Sport, the France captain made just 0.14 tackles per 90 minutes in La Liga last season, the fifth lowest figure among players ranked in the data. Opta placed him 1,350th out of 1,490 players across England, Spain, France, Italy, and Germany who made a minimum of 19 league appearances, measuring combined interceptions, blocks, tackles, and possession won.
France faces Senegal on Tuesday in their opening World Cup match, and Mbappe addressed the criticism head-on in an interview with French newspaper La Parisien. The interview was conducted in an unusual format, with Mbappe fielding questions from team-mates and friends. His younger brother Ethan, who plays for Ligue 1 side Lille, teased him about his defensive ability directly.
Mbappe did not dodge it.
"I need to take the extra step [with my defensive work] because it's something important for the team and I have to do it," he said. "It will start this time because we want to win, and to win, I'm ready to do whatever because I want to win at all costs."
The 27-year-old has faced scrutiny over both his performances and his leadership at club and country level. His second season at Real Madrid was difficult. The club failed to win a trophy, and reports described dressing room unrest and growing frustration among supporters. He was La Liga's top scorer but his defensive numbers drew consistent criticism.
International team-mate Ousmane Dembele pushed back on the pile-on, publicly saying that criticism of Mbappe had gone "too far."
Mbappe moved to Real Madrid from Paris St-Germain in 2024 and took over as France captain from Hugo Lloris in 2023, making this his first World Cup leading the side.
The tournament has historically been good to him. He has scored 12 goals in 14 World Cup matches, including a hat-trick in the 2022 final against Argentina. One more goal will pull him level with Olivier Giroud as France's all-time top scorer at the competition.
After Senegal, France will face Iraq and Norway to complete their group stage schedule.
