Bixente Lizarazu, World Cup champion with France in 1998 and Euro 2000 winner, has criticized Kylian Mbappé’s attitude with the French national team, where he currently serves as captain. Lizarazu also believes that the Real Madrid forward "is no longer as explosive and decisive" as he was in 2022.

"He’s still a very good goal-scorer, a very good player, obviously, but he doesn’t intimidate defenses the way he used to," Lizarazu stated in an opinion piece published Monday in L'Équipe.

A key figure of France’s golden generation alongside Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry, Lilian Thuram, and Laurent Blanc, Lizarazu, who also won the Champions League with Bayern Munich, noted that "the best Mbappé" was seen nearly two years ago during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

"There are times when you need to refocus on yourself because you’re struggling to find your best version. I think the captain of 'Les Bleus' is going through one of those moments," said the former Athletic Bilbao player from the 1996/1997 season and a legend at Girondins de Bordeaux.

"If you’re preoccupied with external issues that overwhelm you with negativity, it clearly has a mental impact—you lose strength, energy, and joy," he added.

The legendary left-back also criticized Mbappé’s attitude before France's Nations League match against Italy on Friday, October 6. Prior to the game (which France lost 1-3), Mbappé stated that he was indifferent to the reception he would receive from the fans at Parc des Princes, where he played for the past seven seasons.

"Those words are inappropriate, especially coming from a leader, and even less so from a captain... You should try to give hope to the fans, to foster a connection with them," Lizarazu lamented.