A video shared by the French Football Federation revealed the curious nickname France’s players use for Kylian Mbappé in the privacy of the locker room.
After the 3-0 victory over Sweden at the 2026 World Cup, cameras captured the moment one of his teammates called him “Mobut! Mobut!”, prompting laughter among those present.
The nickname refers to Mobutu Sese Seko, the former dictator of Zaire, and is said to be an inside joke linked to the image of leadership and strong personality that usually surrounds Mbappé.
Far from causing discomfort, the scene showed the good atmosphere within the French camp, with the captain responding naturally while continuing to be one of the tournament’s biggest stars.