PARIS: France captain Kylian Mbappe said top athletes are still reluctant to speak freely about mental health because they fear being judged, adding that his passion for the game is what keeps him from becoming disillusioned with football.

In a wide-ranging interview with LEquipe Magazine on Wednesday, the 26-year-old forward spoke candidly about the pressure he faces and the perception that elite players cannot show vulnerability.

“The complexity is that people struggle with it. You’re not supposed to show it,” Mbappe said, when asked about cyclists such as four-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar acknowledging moments of distress during competition.

“If he had said it at the start, he would have been torn apart. But when you win, you are almost untouchable. If you lose a match and say you’re tired, people say its because you played badly. Even if you felt that way before,” Mbappe said.

The Real Madrid striker, who netted twice in two World Cup qualifying wins against Ukraine and Iceland, said he held himself to the most demanding standards.

“I’ve never wanted to accept failure, so I don’t mind if people reproach me for it. I’m very hard on myself, more than most people are, so I’m at peace with that,” he said.

Mbappe also highlighted the fine line between public expectation and private emotions.

“At home, I can say it. Or when the context is right. If I win the World Cup, you come three days later and ask me, I can say it. But after a defeat? People wont accept it,” he said.

He added: “Honestly, if I didn’t have this passion, football would have disgusted me a long time ago.”

The interview also touched on his career trajectory with France, Paris St-Germain and now Real, but Mbappe insisted the toughest battles are often internal.

“You don’t have the right to lose, to be wrong. But that’s also why people hold you in high esteem because you accept it all, because you stay resilient and always want to win,” he said.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2025