Kylian Mbappé rejects criticism of his defensive work

Kylian Mbappé has rejected the idea that criticism of his defensive contribution should overshadow his goals, saying his scoring should not be treated as a problem for his team. The France forward also dismissed the suggestion that a prolific attacker can weaken a collective.

The debate comes as Mbappé’s Ballon d’Or prospects are being assessed after a season without a trophy. He finished as the leading scorer at the World Cup, in La Liga and in the Champions League, but his defensive running and overall work without the ball have remained subjects of criticism.

Mbappé argued that expectations have changed after roughly a decade among football’s elite. His goals, once a novelty, are now viewed as routine, leaving critics to focus on what he does not contribute. He said that reaction is part of the human tendency to look for shortcomings, while accepting that public scrutiny is a consequence of his status.

He also maintained that scoring cannot be used as evidence that he harms a team. In his view, football is decided by putting the ball in the net more often than the opponent, and a player who regularly scores cannot be considered an obstacle to collective success. The comments place his Ballon d’Or case firmly around production, despite the season ending without silverware.