The aftermath left a bigger impact than the defeat. Kylian Mbappé (28, Real Madrid)'s actions after El Clásico sparked another controversy.
Real Madrid fell 2-3 to Barcelona in the 2025-2026 Supercopa de España final held at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Jan. 12 (KST). The match itself was intense, but the scenes after the final whistle are being talked about longer.
Spanish outlet Sport reported, "Mbappé asked his teammates not to show customary respect toward the winning team." It explained that Mbappé was the one who led the squad out of the awards area immediately after receiving the runners-up medals.
The match was not easy for Real. After conceding the opener, they leveled through Vinícius Júnior and Gonzalo García, but in the second half they conceded consecutive goals to Raphinha and trailed again. Despite an all-out final attack, decisive chances by Álvaro Carreras, Vinícius and García were repeatedly squandered and they ultimately failed to equalize.
The controversy centers on the postmatch procedure. Normally, after a final the runners-up show respect to the winners with applause. On that day the Real squad left the area immediately after receiving their medals, and the guard of honor toward Barcelona did not take place.
The outlet said, "Broadcast footage captured Mbappé saying something in a strong tone to his teammates as they left the stadium." It added that some players tried to applaud but scenes appear to show Mbappé seeming to stop them.
Mbappé's individual impact on the game was also limited. Substituted on because of lingering knee issues, he could not change the flow and had to accept the runners-up finish. Sport said, "From Barcelona fans' perspective it can be seen as an unpleasant action," adding, "Given his tendencies, the scene is not unfamiliar."
Comments by coach Xabi Alonso also fanned the controversy. Right after the defeat he said, "It's positive that we were close to drawing," congratulated Barcelona, but added, "This competition is just one of many we play and is not important. We need to move quickly to the next stage."
Meanwhile, with this title Barcelona reached its 16th Supercopa triumph overall, rewriting the record for most wins. They have also won five of the last six El Clásico matches, fully shifting momentum in their favor.
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