According to The Athletic, AI-generated memes and videos of Mbappe as a "dictator" went viral during the 2026 World Cup.

A recent video snippet shared online by the French Football Federation (FFF) inadvertently revealed that AI-generated "Dictator Mbappe" images and videos have become a source of amusement and inspiration for his French teammates.

However, not all of this content is pure fantasy. Some videos depict things Mbappe actually did at the World Cup that were subsequently interpreted as "dictatorial": when France's group stage match against Iraq was delayed by heavy rain, he directed ground staff to clear standing water from the pitch; when substituted against Norway, he instructed referee Michael Oliver to hand the captain's armband to a teammate; after he scored twice in France's 3-0 victory over Sweden, Deschamps bowed to him in salute.

Some savvy street vendors in New York have started selling "Dictator Mbappe" posters and badges; when France defeated Paraguay in the Round of 16 in Philadelphia, a Paraguayan fan was filmed wearing a T-shirt depicting the French captain as an authoritarian figure.

This phenomenon has become so apparent that even Deschamps himself couldn't help but respond.

After France defeated Morocco in the quarter-finals, Deschamps told reporters: "Many people think Kylian is a dictator who only thinks of himself. But he is exemplary as a captain, and everything he does on the field is also exemplary."

These memes and videos provide a peculiar online backdrop to Mbappe's historic performance at this World Cup. On Saturday local time, he will lead his team in the third-place play-off against England, aiming to win his second consecutive World Cup Golden Boot, and he needs two more goals to surpass Messi as the World Cup's all-time leading scorer.

So, where did this content come from? Is there any truth to it?

It is believed that it all started with a kebab. The "Dictator Mbappe" trend gained popularity in March 2024 after the player had a legal dispute with the manager of a Marseille kebab shop.

Mohamed Henni, who is also an online blogger and Marseille fan, revealed in a series of social media videos that he had received a letter from Mbappe's lawyer, Delphine Verheyden, demanding that he stop using her client's name in the description of a kebab. The description read: "Round bread, as round as Mbappe's skull."

Henni complained in a post to his 2 million social media followers: "Mbappe has turned his name into a dictatorship!"

This claim quickly gained traction online, especially as Mbappe was at the time being accused of having excessive influence behind the scenes at Paris Saint-Germain.

It is alleged that one of the conditions under which Mbappe was persuaded to stay at the club with a new contract in 2022 was that he would have a say in transfers and coach appointments. Neymar and Messi are believed to be among the players who left the team with his approval.

By the time Mbappe transferred to Real Madrid in the summer of 2024, he had gradually been excluded from the Paris Saint-Germain starting lineup by head coach Enrique, and his relationship with chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi had soured.

A source familiar with Mbappe's time in Paris, speaking anonymously, said: "To say he is dictatorial is not entirely inaccurate. He is very focused on his statistics. He also has a big say in what the club can post about him online."

Sources close to the Real Madrid dressing room claim that Mbappe began to take on more responsibilities on and off the pitch in his second season at the club, filling the leadership void left by the departures of Modric and Vazquez. But things began to deteriorate after Xabi Alonso was sacked in January and Arbeloa took over as head coach. In one notable incident, the French player had an argument and exchanged insults with a member of Arbeloa's coaching staff.

After a dismal season ended without any trophies, disappointment with Mbappe is growing from the boardroom to the dressing room, and claims of him being overly self-centered are increasing. In response to external criticism of his attitude, Mbappe's team previously told The Athletic: "Some of the criticism is an overinterpretation of situations related to recovery periods under strict club supervision, and does not reflect Kylian's true commitment to the team and daily work."

However, none of this means that Mbappe is not a central figure in Real Madrid's plans. In fact, sources insist that Mbappe remains a cornerstone of Real Madrid's plans and is expected to continue to be so under new head coach Jose Mourinho.

A source close to the French team said: "He has a sense of humor, and he laughs about it too. Ousmane and others are always on social media, and when they see funny AI videos or something similar, they forward them to each other."

The source continued: "The older players joke about it, like Ousmane, Konate, Upamecano, though not everyone on the team can joke like that. Kylian, like everyone else, has positive and negative sides. But he is not a tyrant or a dictator."

On Saturday local time, when Mbappe leads his team against England in Miami, these memes will resurface. But as he has shown since the start of this tournament, he is doing everything he can to ensure his World Cup legacy is determined solely by his performance on the pitch.

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