Kylian Mbappé's Firm Response to Comparisons with Dembélé and Raphinha

Ahead of Real Madrid's Champions League debut against Inter Milan on Tuesday at the Bernabéu, Kylian Mbappé was questioned in a press conference about his defensive contributions. When a journalist cited Ousmane Dembélé (PSG) and Raphinha (Barcelona) as examples, the Real Madrid forward responded quite sternly.

Following a notable summer with the French national team, where he became the all-time leading scorer in the World Cup, Kylian Mbappé is preparing for another prestigious stage: the Champions League. Real Madrid kicks off their new campaign by hosting Inter Milan on Tuesday at the Bernabéu. The day before this crucial match, the Real Madrid forward appeared at a press conference and was asked about his defensive duties within the team now coached by José Mourinho.

"Should Kylian Mbappé help the team with defensive tasks, along with Vinicius?" a journalist inquired. "Just me and Vinicius?" the Real number 9 questioned. "No, the whole team, but for example, we see Dembélé with PSG or Raphinha with Barcelona and other players who help more with the press," the journalist elaborated.

"I don't know. Of course, we need to improve, and I think it's something completely natural for players, but I can play the fool and tell you that I score more goals than the two you mentioned, and that they need to score more goals to be like me," Kylian Mbappé replied. "Everyone is different. I want to do things intelligently and say that, of course, I need to improve, but I don't like to compare, because I think I do many things that others don't. If we get into that topic, it's an endless debate."

'We must improve to help the defense'

"I agree that, of course, I and all Real Madrid players must improve in this aspect, to help the defense concede fewer chances and goals," continued the French captain, who positions himself as a favorite for the 2026 Ballon d'Or. "With the ball, we need to manage things better to create more goal-scoring opportunities, to do things well. But that's the life of a top-level team that wants to be among the best in the world. There are many things we need to improve every day."

After winning their first three La Liga matches, scoring four goals including a hat-trick against Real Sociedad, Kylian Mbappé experienced his first defeat of the season on Friday against Real Betis (1-0).