Over 16,000 French fans sign petition to apologize to Mbappé

This petition follows the 27-year-old striker’s stellar performance at the 2026 World Cup.

A day after Mbappe scored a brace in a 3-0 victory over Sweden in the Round of 32, a website titled “Pardon Kylian” (Kylian, pardonne-nous) was launched to collect public apologies for the French captain.

The website argues that French fans have treated him unfairly by constantly doubting, criticizing and failing to acknowledge his greatness. According to them, now is the time to “make amends.”

The petition features a comprehensive list of 20 specific complaints fans can check off to admit guilt. Participants can confess to saying that Mbappe doesn’t run, is too well-paid, or that he should be benched. They can also admit to claiming he doesn’t love France, is overrated, only cares about money, or is outright arrogant.

Other checkable criticisms include stating he ruins the dressing room atmosphere, is past his prime at 25, or that France would play better without him. Some fans might even need to apologize for accusing him of faking injuries, declaring that his move to Real Madrid was a mistake, or arguing that Karim Benzema is a better player.

Fans can also admit to having liked a post criticizing Mbappe or holding a grudge over his departure from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2024.

The campaign has also established several humorous milestones based on the total number of signatures collected. If the petition reaches one million signatures, French legend Zinedine Zidane will be formally invited to personally present Mbappé with the book that contains all the signatures and apologies.

The ultimate goal is to collect 67 million signatures, which is the entire population of France. If this target is achieved, the campaign jokes that every French citizen will be required by decree to legally adopt “Kylian” as their middle name.

Mbappe is currently enjoying a stellar 2026 World Cup, having recently scored his 17th and 18th career World Cup goals. He has a chance to further improve his record when France play Paraguay at Lincoln Financial Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at 4 a.m. on July 5 (Hanoi time).