Kylian Mbappé, the Real Madrid and France striker, has spoken for the first time about the wave of social media memes comparing him to Mobutu Sese Seko, the former dictator of the Democratic Republic of Congo, in an interview clip released on Friday by L'Equipe.
Mbappé said part of the comparison amused him because he could sense that, for many people, it was meant in good fun. But he added that another part of it was less funny, because everyone knows the damage that people like Mobutu caused in history.
Who was Mobutu Sese Seko?
Mobutu Sese Seko ruled the Democratic Republic of Congo, then known as Zaire, from 1965 to 1997. He is remembered as one of Africa's most notorious dictators, whose long rule was marked by repression and mass corruption.
Mbappé said being compared to people who have killed others, or who made millions upon millions of people miserable, did not sit easily with him, since he does not believe he has done anything like that in his life. He said there was a mix of feelings: he understood the comparison was made lightly and did not go that far, but he felt it sometimes showed a lack of political and human awareness among people making the joke.
Memes at the World Cup
The trend of online memes pairing Mbappé's image with Mobutu has circulated on social media for a long time, but it reached new heights during the 2026 World Cup. Fans were spotted in American stadiums wearing T-shirts depicting the France captain, nicknamed "Kyk's," as a dictator.
Supporters of Paraguay held up such a shirt on July 4 during the World Cup round of 16 match in Philadelphia, which France won 1-0.
The joke followed Mbappé into the Champions League as well. A sequence filmed by the French television programme Telefoot showed Real Madrid supporters on Tuesday, before their 2-1 win over Inter Milan, waving a banner reading "The Dictator: liberty, equality, Mbappé."
Dembélé's 'Mobut' nickname
The joke has also made its way into the France dressing room through Mbappé's teammate Ousmane Dembélé, who has taken to calling him "Mobut." The nickname was captured in a video shared by the French national team's official account during the World Cup, which drew 16 million views on X alone.
Asked about Dembélé's version of the joke, Mbappé drew a clear distinction, saying it was a different matter entirely. He said Dembélé had picked it up from social media and that his teammate was simply doing it to have a laugh.
Mbappé, who is currently in contention to win his first Ballon d'Or, gave the interview to L'Equipe, with the full version published on the outlet's website on Friday and set to appear in France Football magazine on Saturday.
