MBAPPE REACTS TO VIRAL AI MEME PORTRAYING HIM AS DICTATOR

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By ‘Sefiu Ajape

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has criticised a viral social media meme that superimposes his face onto the body of a dictator, describing it as a reflection of a “lack of political and human awareness”.

The France international, 27, acknowledged that the AI-generated meme might appear humorous to some people but said comparisons with dictators responsible for widespread suffering were inappropriate.

Mbappe made the remarks in an interview with France Football on Friday, explaining that he understood why some supporters shared the meme in a light-hearted manner because of his dominance on the pitch and influence at 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 noted that there was also “a side that’s a bit less funny” because of the historical damage caused by the figures with whom he was being compared.

“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 that although he recognised the meme was not necessarily intended to offend, it could reflect a lack of understanding of the political and human consequences associated with such historical figures.

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, then known as Zaire, for three decades.

Mbappe, however, distinguished Dembele’s nickname from the wider social media meme, saying his teammate was simply joking after picking it up from social media.

“Ousmane, that’s a different thing. He took that from social media. He’s just having a laugh,” Mbappe said.