From an article published on 10 september 2025 and available in full on L'Equipe Magazine. Updated on 22 april 2026 by Ballon d'Or.

At the end of last year, you celebrated the 10th anniversary of your professional debut. Of everything that has changed in your life, it seems your family and close circle have altered the least.

Yes, I think so. The player has changed. He has been in different spheres, at different clubs. The man has changed, naturally. I was a teenager when I started... But yes, that foundation hasn't changed. It was within us. I've always had that. It's neither negotiable nor modifiable. We can be at opposite ends of Europe, or the world, but that bond will always be there. We're always on the phone. As soon as we have time, we see each other. That's why the bonds have never changed.

Was changing countries, coming here to Madrid, a way of cutting the cord?

In Paris, in recent years, I had already left the family nest. Ethan (his younger brother) was growing up, and he needed to be looked after. I was less the one who needed focus. Taking care of Ethan, of his career—as he went from a pre-teen to a teenager, and now a young man—was important. He's already 18... In football, I was afraid of overshadowing him, but not in life. I'm the big brother, I protect him. On the contrary, you have to cast a shadow over him so there isn't too much light that could burn him. When I learned he was a midfielder, it was a relief. It will save us from useless comparisons. That's the thing that has given me the most relief regarding the fact that we're in the same profession.

What also hasn't changed is the attention, the constant noise, the contrast between what people think of you and what the reality might be.

I'm not the first, nor will I be the last. It's just that with me, it's amplified. It's the story of football, of television, of fame. It's sometimes fair, sometimes unfair, but it's something you can't change. I often say that people don't know me, but at the same time, you can't know everyone... It's normal. A lot of things said about me are far from reality.
(...)

The issue is that this kind of controversy can affect your peace of mind.

I accept it. I can't change the world. Sometimes, you're seen as much darker than you are, sometimes more beautiful. But the truth will always come out, even if it can take a long time. Some people spend their entire careers waiting for recognition or for people to truly know who they are. You have to learn to live with that. You waste a lot of energy if you spend your time fighting it, and you'll never win. It can eat you up from the inside, and you don't have the weapons to fight back. Quite a few athletes before me have paid the price for it. I try to learn from them.

Which ones?

A bit of all of them... Then there are some you can be a fan of, but it's hard to draw inspiration from them. Zidane, for example, is a once-in-a-lifetime story. You can only admire the greatness. No one can ever do that again, have that kind of image. It was a particular era, a particular time. A particular player! It was completely different. But when you look at French athletes—and we're lucky to have some great ones—they have all been torn apart by public opinion at some point. I think it's a rite of passage, and I have no problem with that.

I'm very hard on myself, harder than most people are"

Is Kylian Mbappé allowed to fail?

No. But that's also why people hold you in such high esteem. Because you accept all these things, you're resilient, and you always want to win. I've never wanted to accept failure, so it doesn't bother me when people criticize me for it. I'm very hard on myself, harder than most people are, so I'm very comfortable with that.

In your more private life, how many people talk to you without wanting something in return?

It's complicated to answer because sometimes, even someone who wants something from you can tell you the truth. You have to be attentive, not paranoid. Not everything should be thrown away. It's not black and white. You have to protect yourself but remain attentive. Sometimes, I've listened to advice from harmful people, but their advice was good, so I kept the advice while cutting off the relationship. I always listen to what people tell me, even if I later filter out what I think is good or not. I am the judge. I'm the one on the pitch, living my life, accepting failure, glory... And I suffer the consequences of my actions.
(...)

What human values do you look for in others?

Family, you accept them as they are. We're not perfect, you know. Everyone has qualities and flaws. With friends, it's always a sense of simplicity, of sharing, of solidarity. The values that made me who I am. That's how you create bonds. You share things, inside jokes, stories, trips, experiences. Sometimes, friendships last a lifetime; others last for a certain time. They were beautiful, but they have to end. Others end badly. That's life. I'm not that different from the average person. Unfortunately, even my friendships are scrutinized... If you're seen hanging out with someone and then they're not around anymore, people will say: "Oh, why isn't he here anymore?"
(...)

"I would never advise my child to get into the world of football"

Many footballers get married very young. You've made a different choice. Is that something missing from your life, or not at all?

No, because I chose it. Everyone builds their life differently. I did it thinking that football was my whole life, and I wanted to make the most of my career. Maybe I'm wrong... (He smiles.) Maybe I'm right. Only the future will tell, or God in due time. When you make your own choices, the outcome is easy to accept.

How do you meet the right person and know they are there for the right reasons?

We come back to that fine line between paranoia and vigilance. Some people wish you harm, but not everyone does. You can't overthink it, you have to take the plunge. That applies to everyone. Are you married? How did you know she was the one? You do everything you can to make it work, but how do you recognize the obvious?

It's a gamble...

Life is a gamble. They often say fortune favours the bold, so you have to try. What can be tough in football is facing the judgment of others. There's something called ego, and some people are afraid of being wrong. "I met the wrong person and the whole world saw it!" No, that can happen. The guy next door, who isn't famous, has already met the wrong person. It's mostly about accepting that you can make mistakes. And if I make a mistake, I get back up.

Could you imagine having children who hate football?

I hope so. (He laughs.) But I think, unfortunately, a ball will never be far away... In any case, I would never advise my child to get into the world of football.

"I only cry when I'm injured. With defeats, I assume that, one way or another, you deserved it. No one deserves an injury."

Ethan says you're more reserved than he is, that you have a hard time sharing your feelings.

Because we're different. My parents were different when they had Ethan compared to when they had me. That upbringing, that history, makes us different. If you spend time with us, you'll see it. We had the same parents without having the same parents. You see two different upbringings in the evolution of an adult's life. My mother was 23 when she had me, eight years older when she had Ethan. So naturally... What Ethan can do, I do differently, and vice versa. We complement each other well.

But is he right?

I think so, yes. Because I was built... (He stops himself.) No, not built, because that sounds robotic to say it like that. But raised that way. My father wasn't someone who would get up in the morning and say, "I love you, my son." Yet, he said it to my brother many times. He was at a different stage in his life. He had fewer problems, perhaps, or he had gone through a period of introspection. My upbringing was very good, and Ethan's was too, but they are different.
(...)

What are your sanctuaries?

My home. Family, friends, loved ones, of course, but really, my house, which I've always considered a sanctuary. My home is my home. Not just anyone can come in. When it's chaos or ecstasy outside, when people are going completely crazy, I always tell myself that it will end because I'm going home.

Where do you manage to disconnect from the match that just happened, for example?

On the night of the game, I don't watch it back, even when I win. You'll always find an extenuating circumstance, or on the contrary, you'll dramatize the situation. I don't have a ritual, anyway. Every match is a chance to make history, and every match has its own story. I don't want to reduce my career to a routine. You only get one career, and I want to make the most of the good times and the bad. I want to let my body and mind live it to the fullest. I let myself get carried away by what happens to me. Sometimes I eat, sometimes I don't even do that. I can sit down, have a laugh. Sometimes I'm sad, so I talk with Yaëlle (his personal assistant).

When was the last time you cried?

The last time I cried over football... I only cry when I'm injured. With defeats, I operate on the principle that, one way or another, you deserved it. No one deserves an injury. You have more or less of an influence on a defeat. But the last time I almost cried over football was when we lost with PSG against Manchester City in the Champions League semi-final second leg (in 2021). I wasn't playing. That's when I almost cried because... you're useless. On the bench, I was like the winner of a VIP contest. In those moments, what separates you from the millions of people watching on TV? Nothing.

You have a better seat...

Yeah, and even then, it was snowing. (He laughs.) On the plane back, I almost cried.

Many champions talk about mental health. Tadej Pogačar just won his fourth Tour de France and admits he's tired of it. Have you ever felt that kind of weariness?

During international competitions, always, at some point. You're locked away for about sixty days. When it's the World Cup, nothing else matters, and there's no point trying to escape by watching the latest series or TV. If you turn it on, you know they're only going to talk about that. The first few days are fine. But the further you go... I've played in two World Cups, and I've been in the final twice. Between the semi-final and the final, the world stops.

People are outside the hotel, and you've been there for sixty days, thinking: this is the biggest match of my life, but I can't wait for it to be over, so we know the outcome and can move on. You don't enjoy those four or five days. Between the impatience, the fact that nothing else exists, and that you have nothing left to do... Books, series, games, anecdotes with teammates... Yeah, we've seen each other for sixty days. (He laughs.) Even the ones I'm closest to, the ones I'm with 24/7... We chat a little, but you can feel the atmosphere of "This needs to happen now." Those last few days, you're alone in your room, you look at the sky, you wait for it to be over.

But when it's over, that's where the risk lies, and many champions talk about it—the natural mental exhaustion. And the fact that they are human beings like everyone else.

The complexity of it is that people have a hard time with that. You're not supposed to show it. He (Pogačar) doesn't say it at the beginning; he says it after he's won... If he says it at the start, he gets torn apart, and yet, it's the same emotion. He waited for the ultra-favorable context, the peak right after victory, to say it. And if he had lost, would he have said it?

But you could say after a match: "Actually, I'm exhausted."

And then I'll start acting like the guy in his living room. (He imitates.) "Damn, for what we pay you, I'd be happy every day!" Bam. That's why it's sometimes better to just suck it up.

So it's impossible to say?

Yes, it is. At home. Or when the context is right. If I win the World Cup and you come to interview me three days later, I can let it out. You're almost untouchable then. If you lose a match and say that, people will tell you that you're only saying it because you were terrible. It doesn't change the fact that I might have felt that way before the match... It's all about timing in communication.

"Being tired doesn't mean you no longer love what you do."

Is that something you've learned?

Yes, but I haven't always used it. I've said things before without caring about the timing. A lot of people said: why is he saying that now? Because I had to say it. I don't care. But that sense of timing does exist. Have I always respected it in my career? No... That's what makes it atypical, for better or for worse.

But these slumps must happen at certain times.

You're carried by the result, anyway... And being tired doesn't mean you no longer love what you do. I'm still crazy about it. The World Cup final, on July 19th in the United States—I dream about it morning, noon, and night. The date is circled. We have a great team, and I hope we'll get there.

Talking about Les Bleus, do you think they’re the strongest team you’ve ever seen?

The most talented, yes. The strongest, not yet. The one with the most potential, yes. It's infinite. At every position, we have players starting for the best clubs in the world. Now it's just a matter of making it happen. But as a team, we're not yet stronger than the one that won the World Cup in 2018, or the one that reached the final in 2022. Does this team have the potential to be the best ever? 100%. Will it be... That's up to us. With players of this quality, we have to be ambitious.

How do you approach your role as captain?

I'm not a kid anymore, and I think I have the most caps... It's different. Everything happened so fast. When I first joined the French team, the older players would say, "Oh, for me, that was a long time ago." Now, when I see the new players arrive, I feel like I just started yesterday. We try to create a really cool, peaceful atmosphere. The players are coming in younger and younger. We're no longer afraid to call up a player with fewer than 100 professional matches, who's in their first season. The public says, "Yeah, call him up, he needs to be here now!" (He knocks on the table.) Before, you had to wait, to play in Europe, play in Champions League matches, to earn your stripes... With Ousmane Dembélé, we were among the first to arrive super young. But that's a good thing, because that talent and can help us right away.

There's no fear...

They're really not afraid of anything. We were already pretty carefree ourselves. I think it's great. (Bradley) Barcola, Désiré Doué, Rayan Cherki, Malo Gusto, Warren (Zaïre-Emery)... They know where they are, and they also know they deserve it, while still having the humility to be part of the national team. But they haven't stolen anyone's spot. If the coach announced their names at 2 p.m. on a Thursday, it's because they've shown people they can compete for a place. And that's good for a squad. They bring enthusiasm, a fresh perspective. They push the veterans.

What is your method as a captain?

The most important thing is to try to keep the group united. In a tournament, you never know who might have a breakout performance. All 23 players can contribute, but not in the same ways. Only fifteen or sixteen will play, but the others are important. Before I was captain, I didn't really see it that way. I was in my own world. "I'll do my job on the pitch, then I'll go home." There was Hugo (Lloris), Rapha (Varane), Paul (Pogba), and I didn't have that responsibility. Now, I see how important it is to keep everyone's spirits up. In a competition, there are highs and lows. The guy who doesn't play the first two matches, and then doesn't play the third either even though we've won the first two and the coach is rotating the squad... You have to keep him engaged; he's still important. He's going to think, "Wait, he's rotating the team, I'm the only one who hasn't played yet, I'm useless..." Not at all. You're incredibly important to the group. We need you, and we will never give up on you.

Ultimately, tactically, you don't invent things or revolutionize football with the national team. Except for Spain, which relied on the great Barcelona team of that era, with seven or eight of their players plus four from Real Madrid... But you don't have the time to create something tactically insane. You establish the tactical fundamentals, but then you have to go for it. And how do you go far? Through the strength of your collective and your individuals, but above all, the strength of the group.

"I've shaken up codes and hierarchies. There are also things I've done wrong."

In the dressing room, it's said that you have a divisive personality, that you take up a lot of space.

Of course. Because of my story, my background, everything I've done and continue to do, for better or for worse... I've shaken up codes and hierarchies. There are also things I've done wrong. Sometimes, I've done things that had never happened before. I'm aware of that, but I try to live my career to the fullest, with passion. It's impossible to do everything right. The important thing is to know when you're doing well or not. That's a champion's greatest strength: their lucidity. It's what keeps you from losing your mind, from living in a world detached from reality.

Even when I've done things that seemed the most foolish, I don't think I was ever disconnected from reality. I knew what I was doing wasn't right. Sometimes, I did it because I needed to. Sometimes, there was a message behind it. You can't explain everything, so misunderstandings can arise with people. The boomerang you get back is frustration. But I've never rebelled against the public. I've been in the shoes of those who criticize; I was one of them when I was younger. I can't hold it against the supporters. I prefer lively people to passive ones.