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France national team coach Didier Deschamps believes that Kylian Mbappe will continue to face criticism even after delivering an impressive performance in their opening match of the 2026 World Cup.

Kylian Mbappe put on a remarkable show in France’s first fixture of the 2026 World Cup campaign.

On this occasion, Les Bleus began their journey in Group I by facing Senegal.

The clash took place at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Tuesday (June 16, 2026) local time, or early Wednesday morning in Indonesia.

France managed to secure a 3-1 victory over Senegal.

The three goals for Deschamps’ side were scored by Kylian Mbappe (66’, 90+6’) and Barcola (82’).

Meanwhile, Senegal’s only goal came from Mbaye (90+5’).

After the match, Didier Deschamps praised Mbappe for his contribution.

However, Deschamps also admitted that there would still be critics of Mbappe’s performance.

The 57-year-old coach acknowledged that Mbappe did not play at his best throughout the entire match.

The Real Madrid forward appeared somewhat underwhelming in the early stages of the game.

Mbappe was seen struggling several times to control passes from his teammates.

“There will always be people out there who will criticise him, but he is still an extraordinary player,” Deschamps said.

“Not everything went according to plan, but he can win a match with just one moment of brilliance,” he added, as quoted by BolaSport.com from the official AFC website.

Earlier, Kylian Mbappe had spoken about Didier Deschamps’ previous decision not to include him in the French national team squad last November.

Furthermore, Deschamps emphasised Mbappe’s crucial role within the French squad.

He noted that Mbappe contributes significantly both on and off the pitch.

“As captain, he does a lot for the team both on and off the field, even though some people think he is selfish,” Deschamps stated.

Lastly, Deschamps expressed his happiness over Mbappe’s new achievement.

The record in question is Mbappe becoming the all-time top scorer for the French national team.

Mbappe has now scored 58 goals for France.

This total places him one goal ahead of Olivier Giroud, who sits in second place.

“I am very happy for him,” Deschamps said.

“He didn’t score in the warm-up friendlies, but breaking a record at the World Cup makes it even more meaningful,” he concluded.