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Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has criticised a viral Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated meme comparing him to a dictator, calling it a “lack of political and human awareness”.
The France international made the comments in an interview with France Football on Friday, acknowledging that some people may see the meme as humorous. Mbappe said he understood why supporters shared the meme, given his performances and influence on the pitch.
“There’s a funny side to it because you can sense that, for some people, it’s good-natured,” Mbappe said.
However, he said the comparison became less amusing because of the suffering caused by the historical figures involved.
“Being compared to people who murder others, or who have made millions upon millions of people miserable… I don’t think I’ve done that in my life,” he said.
Mbappe said the meme was not necessarily created to offend him but could reflect a lack of understanding of the political and human consequences linked to dictators.
The Real Madrid star also addressed the nickname “Mobut”, which France teammate Ousmane Dembele used for him during the 2026 World Cup.
The nickname refers to Mobutu Sese Seko, the former dictator who ruled the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), then known as Zaire, for three decades.
Mbappé distinguished Dembélé’s nickname from the wider social media meme, saying his teammate was simply joking after seeing it online.
