Kylian Mbappe labelled a 'true captain' as Didier Deschamps fires back at Real Madrid & France striker's critics

Peter McVitie Wed, 4 February 2026 at 10:54 am UTC·3 min read Deschamps dismisses work rate concerns France manager Deschamps has moved to shield his talisman from intensified scrutiny regarding his defensive contributions and running statistics. Mbappe’s style of play has drawn criticism in both the Spanish and French press recently, and Deschamps addressed the elephant in the room when speaking to journalists at a festival.Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Critics have pointed to Mbappe’s lower distance-covered metrics compared to his teammates as evidence of a lack of effort, particularly when the team is out of...