Dembele, who has emerged as a key figure for France at the tournament and is a contender for this year's Ballon d'Or after helping Paris St Germain win the Champions League, told Spanish newspaper Marca that some commentators had gone too far in their assessment of his long-time teammate.

Mbappe remains one of the most scrutinised figures in French football since leaving PSG and joining Real Madrid in 2024.

Despite still being a prolific scorer, the France captain came under criticism during a season in which Real failed to win either La Liga or the Champions League, while some pundits and supporters have questioned his leadership with the national team since he inherited the captaincy following Hugo Lloris's retirement from international football.

Mbappe's performances, public appearances and even minor aspects of his behaviour regularly attract intense debate in France.

"The criticism towards him is very, very unfair," Dembele said before France start their World Cup campaign against Senegal on Tuesday. "Some people go a bit too far with the criticism of Kylian.

"He's an incredible player and a very good person off the pitch. Some people overdo the criticism because he's Kylian Mbappe. They shouldn't keep going after him. Whether he ties his shoelaces or not, whether he pulls up his socks or not - it's too much. He's still a human being.

"With the France team, he's very good with us, he's a leader."

The pair have developed a close relationship during their years together with Les Bleus. They are expected to play central roles in France's bid for a third World Cup title in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Dembele also paid tribute to coach Didier Deschamps, who has announced that he will step down after the World Cup following more than a decade in charge of the national side.

"He's simply an exceptional coach," Dembele said. "He will forever remain a legend among French national team coaches."

Deschamps guided France to World Cup glory in 2018 and another final four years later.

Asked about the prospect of former France great Zinedine Zidane succeeding Deschamps, Dembele welcomed the idea.

"We hope to welcome him one day to the France bench," he said. "I'm convinced he would do a fantastic job."

Zidane, who won the World Cup as a player in 1998 and later enjoyed major success coaching Real Madrid, has long been linked with the France job but has repeatedly declined to discuss the position while Deschamps remains in charge.

Ousmane Dembele hits back at Kylian Mbappe critics ahead of France's World Cup opener