Kylian Mbappé praised as French and Dutch petitions seek forgiveness during World Cup

France’s captain Kylian Mbappé has reshaped his public image after an explosive start to the 2026 World Cup, scoring six goals and providing two assists as France progress to the round of 16. Supporters have responded with a French petition titled “Kylian, pardonne nous,” which has gathered several thousand signatures to apologise for earlier criticism of the player.

A separate online initiative launched in the Netherlands aims to collect 67 million apologies for past comments about Mbappé. Over 65 000 people have already signed, with humorous milestones such as awarding Zidane a “national forgiveness certificate” and the goal of giving every French citizen Mbappé as a second name. The petitions will be compiled into a “Great Book of National Forgiveness” to be presented to Mbappé.

These movements reflect the dramatic shift in fan sentiment toward the French forward as the team prepares for its upcoming knockout match against Paraguay.