Kylian "Mobutu" Mbappé: 'Les Bleus' embrace the trend at the World Cup

Viral AI-generated videos depicting French captain Kylian Mbappé dressed as a dictator, issuing orders to his teammates, have become a social media sensation at the World Cup. Rather than distance themselves from the meme, the French national team has embraced it—nicknaming Mbappé 'Mobutu,' after the late dictator Mobutu Sese Seko. According to France 24, the team is leaning into the joke as part of their World Cup campaign. Whether or not this unprecedented strategy—letting your captain embody historical authoritarianism—translates to trophy success remains to be seen.

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