Dictator meme shows lack of human awareness - Mbappe

Kylian Mbappe has criticised a viral meme which superimposes his face on the body of a dictator, saying it shows “a lack of political and human awareness”.

The Real Madrid and France forward, 27, said he understood there was a “funny side” to the AI-generated meme, but that it downplayed serious issues.

It is seemingly used by some fans on social media to reflect the way Mbappe dominates matches, while others have suggested it refers to his influence at clubs.

Speaking in an interview with France Football, Mbappe said: “There’s a funny side to it because you can sense that, for some people, it’s good natured.

“Then there’s a side that’s a bit less funny, because we know the damage people like that have caused throughout history.

“Being compared to people who murder others, or who have made millions upon millions of people miserable… I don’t think I’ve done that in my life.

“On one hand, I know it’s done lightheartedly and doesn’t go that far, but it sometimes reveals a lack of political and human awareness among people.”

Mbappe also referenced the “Mobut” nickname he was called by France team-mate Ousmane Dembele during the 2026 World Cup.

That nickname comes from Mobutu Sese Seko, the dictator who ruled the Democratic Republic of Congo - formerly Zaire - for three decades.

“Ousmane, that’s a different thing. He took that from social media. He’s just having a laugh,” Mbappe said.

Who am I? Guess Bundesliga star No 3

We’re marking top-flight German football being shown live on the BBC Sport website, app and on BBC iPlayer every Friday with a Bundesliga edition of our Who Am I? game.

This Friday, Union Berlin host Schalke at 19:30 BST - and you can watch live on BBC iPlayer or on the BBC Sport website and app.

The rules for this quiz are simple. We want you to guess the Bundesliga footballer in as few attempts as possible.

After each wrong guess, you unlock a new clue. The fewer clues you need to get the right answer, the more points you score.

Three is a good score. Four or five points is exceptional.

Today’s player and clues set by BBC Sport’s Adam Ellis.

Barca's Rodri apologises over Valencia 'weak' comments

Rodri joined Barcelona this summer in a £65m move from Manchester City

Barcelona midfielder Rodri says he has apologised to the entire Valencia squad after television cameras appeared to catch him describing the La Liga strugglers as “very weak”.

Rodri reportedly made the comment to Barcelona team-mates Pau Cubarsi and Raphinha while sitting on the bench after being substituted during his side’s 5-0 league win against Valencia on Sunday.

The result at Mestella Stadium left Valencia bottom of the table with no wins in their first four matches.

Though the footage has no audio, broadcaster Movistar claimed they lip-read the 30-year-old former Manchester City player saying: “They’re really weak. They haven’t got past the halfway line.”

Fans and sections of the Spanish media accused Rodri, who won the golden ball as Spain won the 2026 World Cup, of being disrespectful.

“I apologised to my friend and colleague Jose Gaya [Spain defender and Valencia captain] and to the entire squad as well,” Rodri said after Barcelona’s 5-1 win against Feyenoord in the Champions League on Wednesday.

“I also want to make it clear that it was simply an expression of surprise - anyone watching the video can see that.”

“At no point did I intend to mock anyone or take a difficult moment for a team out of context. Quite the opposite - we all want Valencia to return to where it belongs in the league, it is one of the best clubs in the competition. I simply wanted to say that.”

“I would also add that it was a private conversation; I think we should all learn a bit more from this, as things really do get taken out of context sometimes. But at no point did I mean any disrespect. My apologies to Valencia.”

Gordon a better fit for Barca than Rashford - Deco

After signing for Barcelona, Anthony Gordon called them “the biggest club on the planet” and said he had dreamed about playing for them as a child.

Barcelona sporting director Deco says Anthony Gordon’s style was a better fit for Hansi Flick’s side than Marcus Rashford’s as the club strengthened their squad this summer.

Rashford scored 14 goals in all competitions while on loan at Barcelona last season, who won La Liga and the Copa del Rey.

Barcelona had the option of signing the Manchester United forward on a permanent basis this summer for £30.3m (35m euros) at the end of his 12-month loan.

However, the Spanish giants decided to not extend the 28-year-old’s contract and he returned to Old Trafford.

Rashford’s England team-mate Gordon and Manchester City midfielder Rodri were Barcelona’s two most expensive signings during the summer transfer window, and Deco says both arrivals addressed important weaknesses in the squad.

Gordon joined the Catalan club from Newcastle United in a deal worth more than 80m euros (£69.3m), saying he had believed he would play for Barcelona since he was “three years of age”.

Speaking to Catalan radio station RAC1 on Thursday, Deco praised Rashford for his contribution last season but explained why Barcelona ultimately preferred Gordon.

“We are extremely grateful to Rashford,” Deco said.

“He contributed a lot last season, but our idea of play is much more linked to Anthony’s. His style fits with what the coach is looking for.”

Deco said Barcelona had identified a lack of energy when Raphinha was unavailable last season and believed Gordon could address the problem.

“In the case of Gordon, we saw that he was one of the figures we needed,” he said.

“When Raphinha wasn’t on the pitch, the team lost energy and with him we could solve it. The big advantage we had is that the player wanted to come and he was able to put on pressure [at Newcastle to be allowed to leave].”

Deco added that Barcelona had analysed a number of wingers before deciding on Gordon.

“We had a clear idea what we’re looking for,” he said.

“We needed more intensity. We analysed a lot of wingers. Signing someone from the Premier League is almost impossible, but [Flick] was clear with what he wanted and we worked on a deal from there.”

Gordon has made five appearances for Barcelona and has made four assists.

The club have won all four of their La Liga games, scoring 17 goals and conceding just two.

Injury-hit Cardiff weighing up free-agent options

Manager Brian Barry-Murphy says Cardiff City are monitoring the free-agent market as an injury-hit and winless Championship start has reduced the Irishman’s options.

The Bluebirds’ lack of depth has come under scrutiny with 15-year-old Noah Anyadike and 16-year-old Paul Moreno named on the bench against Stoke City in midweek.

Barry-Murphy insists both youngsters, however, have earned their places in the matchday squad.

“Those players were on the bench because they’ve done really well and they were deserving of it,” he said.

“If we had signed more players, then maybe they wouldn’t have been, but they are and I’m very pleased with them.

“There were very similar players in a similar position last season who’ve now become mainstays in the team. They all have to start somewhere.”

Cardiff are still without Dylan Lawlor, Will Fish, Calum Chambers and Isaak Davies, while Rubin Colwill faces a race against time to be fit for Saturday’s trip to Bolton Wanderers after suffering ankle irritation.

The injury setbacks have increased focus on Cardiff’s recruitment after a summer that brought only four new signings.

Barry-Murphy had suggested the club were keen to do business after Krystian Bielik’s arrival, but transfer deadline day passed by with no more players coming in.

“We have to have an awareness of all the players who are available,” he said.

“Based on how the window is, we monitor everything. The recruitment team here are across everything.

“It’s a different time frame. All the players in the unattached market have different options all over the world. You just have to see what we need and what they have available. It’s an ongoing thing.”

Barry-Murphy also downplayed speculation linking Cardiff with Wales international Rabbi Matondo following his departure from Norwegian side Brann.

“There’s nothing in that,” he said.

“He’s a player I know, obviously. He was at Manchester City before I was there.”

For now, Cardiff’s focus must be on getting key players back on the pitch.

Ryan Wintle’s departure appeared to leave a gap in midfield for the Bluebirds, but Alex Robertson has stepped up to play that role, with his manager saying the player has gone up “another level” this season.

Lawlor is making encouraging progress and could return when they host Charlton Athletic at Cardiff City Stadium on 19 September (12:30 BST), while Fish is expected to resume full training during the upcoming international break in September.

“Once we get Dylan and Will back, we’ll be in a really strong and healthy position,” Barry-Murphy said.

The outlook is less clear for Chambers, who is nursing knee, neck and back issues.

“He’s been in the wars a bit,” Barry-Murphy added. “It’s quite difficult to put a timescale on when he returns.”

Cardiff are expected to be without Davies, who has a hamstring injury, for three weeks.