'There’s A Part That’s Funny, Another Less So': Kylian Mbappé Breaks Silence On AI Memes Portraying Him As Dictator | Watch

Paris: Kylian Mbappé, the French football star, expressed his mixed feelings about the numerous AI-generated memes depicting him as a dictator during the World Cup. The memes featured Mbappé in military attire, sitting on a throne, or standing next to notorious historical figures like Josef Stalin. In an interview with France Football magazine, Mbappé acknowledged the humor in some of these memes, but also expressed discomfort with being associated with individuals linked to tragedies and historical atrocities.

He stated, "There's a part of it that's funny because you can tell that, for some people, it's good-natured," while noting that "there's also a part that's a little less funny because we know the damage that people like that have caused throughout history." The France striker, who has now scored 22 goals in World Cup history, added, "I know it's done in a light-hearted way and that it doesn't go that far, but sometimes it shows a lack of political and human awareness among people."

Notably, Mbappé was reminded of his teammate Ousmane Dembélé, who gave him the nickname "Mobut," referencing the controversial former Congolese president Mobutu Sese Seko. Mbappé explained that, unlike in the AI memes, this nickname was a playful jest originating from social media.