Mbappe opens up on mental health struggles and passion for football

France captain Kylian Mbappe has admitted that many top athletes remain hesitant to speak openly about mental health because of the fear of being judged. The 26-year-old Real Madrid striker said his own passion for football is what prevents him from becoming disillusioned with the game.

In a candid interview with L’Equipe Magazine on Wednesday, Mbappe reflected on the pressures of life at the highest level and the perception that elite players cannot show vulnerability.

“The complexity is that people struggle with it. You’re not supposed to show it,” Mbappe explained, when asked about athletes such as four-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar acknowledging moments of distress.

“If he had said it at the start, he would have been torn apart. But when you win, you are almost untouchable. If you lose a match and say you’re tired, people say it’s because you played badly. Even if you felt that way before.”

Mbappe, who scored twice in France’s recent World Cup qualifying wins against Ukraine and Iceland, said he constantly demands the most from himself.

“I’ve never wanted to accept failure, so I don’t mind if people reproach me for it. I’m very hard on myself, more than most people are, so I’m at peace with that,” he said.

He acknowledged the tension between public expectations and private struggles.

“At home, I can say it. Or when the context is right. If I win the World Cup, you come three days later and ask me, I can say it. But after a defeat? People won’t accept it,” Mbappe noted.

“Honestly, if I didn’t have this passion, football would have disgusted me a long time ago,” he added.

Reflecting on his career path with France, Paris Saint-Germain and now Real Madrid, Mbappe stressed that his toughest battles are often internal.

“You don’t have the right to lose, to be wrong. But that’s also why people hold you in high esteem — because you accept it all, because you stay resilient and always want to win,” he said.

SportsLigue