‘Kylian is Kylian’: Deschamps happy to shield Mbappé amid political scrutiny

S ince France arrived at their World Cup base in Boston last week they have been a regular source of fascination for locals. Crowds of mostly young people have formed outside Les Bleus ’ downtown hotel to cheer the team as they leave for training. All the players are met with pleas for waves and autographs, but the roar that meets Kylian Mbappé is of a different order altogether. Mbappé is one of a small number of contemporary footballers whose names have cut through with the US public (though he is not yet a mononym, unlike Messi ). As France begin their quest for a third World Cup he is inevitably the focus back home too, not least after giving an interview to Le Parisien at the weekend in which he denied ambitions of one day becoming president of France, saying: “I’m hated enough as it is!” A player profile of the France forward and captain Kylian Mbappé ahead of the 2026 World Cup For Didier Deschamps, the question of how to handle the Mbappé phenomenon is one of many that require striking a delicate balance . Fortunately, the 57-year-old has some experience in the demands and contradictions of leading a top international team. Speaking on the eve of their Group I opener against Senegal, with all the extra distractions of 2002 and all that , the French head coach was set on turning down the temperature. …