Mbappé explains why he's bothered by the meme comparing him to a dictator

A meme went viral on social media showing Kylian Mbappé dressed in a military uniform, likened to a dictator. It could have looked like just another internet joke, the kind that circulates for a couple of days and then fades away. But the Real Madrid forward decided not to let it slide, and he explained, calmly but without holding back, why this kind of joke bothers him.

Nobody knows for certain where the image came from. Some link it to the lawsuit Mbappé filed in 2024 against the owner of a kebab shop who was using his name to sell a sandwich without permission. Others think it has to do with the influence, real or exaggerated, that the Frenchman is said to have had inside the locker rooms at Paris Saint-Germain and now at Real Madrid. Whatever the origin, the player used an interview with L'Equipe to address the issue directly.

Mbappé did not deny that the meme has a funny side. In fact, he admitted he understands the joke. The problem, he said, is what lies behind that comparison.

Part of it is funny because you can tell that for some people, it's all just a joke with no bad intent. But there's also a part that isn't so funny, because we know the harm that this kind of person has caused throughout history.Kylian Mbappé

The forward went further, putting into words something many soccer players tend to avoid for fear of sounding too serious about what is, after all, an internet joke.

Being compared to people who murder others, or who have caused misery for millions and millions of people... I don't think I've ever done anything like that in my life. So there's a mix of things going on. On one hand, I know it's done as a joke, without any intention of going further, but maybe it reflects a lack of political and human awareness in people.Kylian Mbappé

The separate case of "Mobutu"

Different is the nickname given to him by Ousmane Dembélé, his teammate on the French national team: "Mobutu," a reference to the dictator who ruled the Democratic Republic of Congo for more than three decades, renaming the country Zaire during his rule. In that case, Mbappé laughed without hesitation.

"Ousmane is a separate case," he said, smiling. "He found it on social media! He's just joking around." For the player himself, the difference seems to lie in the intent: an inside joke between teammates is one thing, and a comparison that goes viral with no context or nuance is quite another.

While the debate keeps circling on social media, Mbappé hasn't slowed down on the field. The 27-year-old forward has scored five goals in five games with Real Madrid this season, and he'll be back in action this Saturday night when José Mourinho's team hosts Rayo Vallecano.