Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has criticized a viral social media meme that superimposes his face onto the body of a dictator, saying it shows a “lack of political and human awareness.”
The France international, 27, acknowledged that the AI-generated meme could be seen as humorous by some, but he said comparisons with dictators who have caused widespread suffering are inappropriate.
Mbappe made these comments in an interview with France Football on Friday, explaining he understands that some supporters shared the meme in a playful way because of his dominance on the pitch and influence at the club level.
“There’s a funny side to it because you can sense that, for some people, it’s good-natured,” Mbappe said.
However, he added that there’s also “a side that’s a bit less funny” due to the historical damage caused by the figures he was being compared with.
“Being compared to people who murder others or have made millions of people miserable… I don’t think I’ve done that in my life,” he said.
Mbappe said that while he recognizes the meme wasn’t necessarily meant to be offensive, it could reveal a lack of understanding of the political and human consequences associated with such figures.
The Real Madrid star also discussed the nickname “Mobut,” which France teammate Ousmane Dembele used for him during the 2026 World Cup.
The nickname is a reference to Mobutu Sese Seko, the former dictator who ruled the Democratic Republic of Congo, then known as Zaire, for three decades.
Mbappe, however, distinguished Dembele’s nickname from the social media meme, saying his teammate was just joking after picking it up from social media.
“Ousmane, that’s a different thing. He took that from social media. He’s just laughing,” Mbappé said.
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