Video: Mbappé addresses viral “dictator” memes
Kylian Mbappé
Abdullateef Fowewe
Real Madrid attacker, Kylian Mbappé has broken his silence on the viral “dictator” memes that have circulated online since 2024, describing them as a mix of harmless fun and uncomfortable historical parallels during a France Football interview.
In a video clip shared by Ballondor, the France and Real Madrid forward is seen sitting casually on a couch, smiling and gesturing as he reacts to AI-edited images and satirical videos that portray him in military uniforms alongside historical dictators.
The memes gained traction after Mbappé’s legal team threatened action in 2024 against a Marseille influencer over a kebab sandwich joke referencing his name, later evolving into broader commentary about his perceived influence at PSG, Real Madrid, and within the French national team setup.
Mbappé acknowledged that while some of the content is clearly meant in jest, other iterations cross a line.
“Some of it is funny because you can tell it’s light-hearted. But some of it is less funny when you know what those people did in history,” he said.
He added, “I don’t think I’ve made millions of people unhappy in my life,” signaling his discomfort with being likened to figures responsible for widespread harm.
The striker also addressed jokes from teammates, singling out Ousmane Dembélé.
“Ousmane joking about it? He is different. He picked it up from social media. With him, it’s just for laughs,” Mbappé noted, drawing a distinction between friendly banter and the more charged historical comparisons.
