World Cup French Team Captain Kylian Mbappé on Living in the Spotlight

Kylian Mbappé is one of the most famous soccer players in the world. At just 27 years old, the French team captain is getting ready to lead France in the World Cup, held this time in the United States. A few days before he flew off for the tournament, TIME France sat down with him at a large mansion in Madrid, Spain, to talk about his life on and off the field.

Mbappé has become much more than a soccer player. He has partnered with big brands like Nike, Dior, Lego, and Oakley. He also worked with Swiss watchmaker Hublot to design his own limited watch, with the motto 'Trust Yourself' on its face. That phrase sums up how he has lived his life since the very beginning of his career.

Designer Ora-ïto, a close friend of Mbappé's, says the star is easy to partner with for a reason. 'He embodies performance, speed, France. He has style, a kind of elegance in the way he moves,' said the designer. Ora-ïto compared Mbappé to a sports car and noted that instead of just appearing in ads, he becomes a part-owner or partner in the companies he believes in.

Still, the past few months have not been easy for Mbappé. He plays for Real Madrid now — the club he always dreamed of joining — but the team has not won many trophies since he arrived. His personal stats are strong, with 42 goals in 44 matches, but some feel he hasn't helped the team win together the way people hoped.

At the same time, his old club, Paris Saint-Germain, reached the top of European soccer after he left. Many people see that as bad timing for Mbappé. Writer Olivier Guez called him 'more and more intriguing,' asking, 'He has always known he was very strong, but is he as strong as he thought he was?'

Fame comes with a lot of pressure, and critics are quick to point fingers. When Mbappé was spotted on a trip to Italy with his girlfriend while he was injured, people criticized him for it. He brushed off the complaints, saying, 'There are simple things in life that people sometimes do not allow us to do.' He has learned to focus only on what he can control.

His father, Wilfrid Mbappé, was sitting nearby during the interview and knows how tough life at the top can be. Wilfrid used to coach at AS Bondy, the club where Kylian first played as a boy. 'People in football are fickle: today they will hate you, tomorrow they will love you,' Wilfrid said. 'It is not a matter of what is fair or unfair.'

Mbappé speaks French, English, and Spanish — sometimes switching between all three in the same conversation. He handles tough questions with a big smile and a calm attitude. But behind that cool exterior, the weight of constant attention is real. He once got into a friend's car just to drive around and feel free for a while, but those quiet moments are almost gone now.

Family time has also become rare. Last summer, the Mbappé family spent time together in Marbella, Spain — a simple vacation that had become unusual for them. Around the table were Kylian's brothers: Ethan, who plays for Lille, and older brother Jirès Kembo Ekoko, a former pro. 'Because we don't have that time. And sometimes you can't give what you don't have,' Kylian said.

At the World Cup, Mbappé will wear the captain's armband for France for the first time. He helped France win the title in 2018 in Russia, and in 2022 he scored a hat trick in the final against Argentina — but it wasn't enough to win. Now, he could break the all-time record for most goals scored in World Cup history.

Mbappé's father remembers when Kylian was just four or five and told everyone he would become a professional soccer player. Most people laughed, but his belief never wavered. 'He believed in himself more than anyone else did,' Wilfrid said proudly. Kylian added, 'When the World Cup comes around, people have a strange feeling toward me… and maybe that wakes me up every time.'

Off the field, Mbappé runs a foundation called Inspired by KM. It supports 98 young people from different backgrounds through workshops, travel, and community projects in places like Cameroon, New York, and Peru. His father says the foundation makes him prouder than any goal Kylian has ever scored. 'What matters to me most is the man he is becoming,' Wilfrid said.

Mbappé also cares deeply about online bullying and warns that young people are being hurt in ways adults are not fully prepared for. 'It is harder for those children who are bullied and despised than it is for us,' he said. He believes this issue needs to be treated as a top priority.

When his playing career ends, Mbappé already has plans in place. He owns a soccer club in France called Stade Malherbe Caen and runs a business group called Interconnected Ventures with about 20 employees. He says he wants to keep as many options open as possible. 'I'm lucky to be privileged and able to choose what will make me happiest,' he said.

When asked who he really is when the cameras stop rolling, Mbappé gave a simple answer. 'Just a normal guy,' he said. 'I'm a normal son, a normal brother, a normal friend, trying to live my life at 27 in a context that is anything but normal.' For one of the most watched people on the planet, that goal — just being normal — might be his biggest challenge yet.