Criticism of world football star Kylian Mbappé (28, Real Madrid) is growing.
Real Madrid, in which Mbappé is expected to start, will face Bayern Munich in the first leg of the 2025-2026 Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League (UCL) quarterfinals at 4 a.m. on the 8th (Korean time) at Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid, Spain.
But in Spain the controversy over Mbappé is in full swing. Although Mbappé has scored 38 goals in 36 matches this season, fans have criticized that "the team is more solid without Mbappé."
In fact, Real did not need Mbappé when they beat Manchester City (Man City) in the Champions League round of 16. In the first leg, with Mbappé absent due to injury, Federico Valverde exploded with a hat trick to win 3-0.
Mbappé came on as a substitute in the 24th minute of the second half when the score was 1-1 in the second leg, but the match winner was Vinícius Júnior. Moreover, Mbappé showed a poor performance in the recent 1-2 loss to Mallorca.
Criticism has grown because Mbappé is not as active defensively as other teammates. Fans see Mbappé's participation as breaking team play or team balance.
Edgar Grollo, the Spain correspondent for French outlet RMC Sport, noted, "When Mbappé was absent due to injury, Real actually played better. Spanish media criticize that he puts in less defensive effort than his teammates and compare the team's performance based on his presence or absence."
Analyst Walid Acheshour said, "When Mbappé is absent, the whole team comes together and defends better. The problems are performance, mentality and competitiveness," adding, "Timing also matters. He joined Real in the summer of 2024, when Vinícius and Jude Bellingham had already finished second and third in the Ballon d'Or for the team."
He added, "Recently we beat Man City at home and away without Mbappé, and Vinícius was the star in those matches. We could see Vinícius playing without Mbappé again for the first time in a while."
Jérôme Rothen, a former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) player, expressed concern, "Every time Real loses or draws, the connection with the midfield and the understanding with Vinícius will be questioned. They need to do better now. He created chances in the Mallorca match but did not convert them."
He continued, "The collective shortcomings are not recent but a very old problem," emphasizing, "It was the same at PSG, but back then goals covered it. Without goals, criticism is unavoidable."
Pablo Polo of Marca said, "Fans criticized Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and Cristiano Ronaldo. Real is a very demanding place," while also expressing optimism that "the Bayern match is the best opportunity for Mbappé to prove he is still the world's best forward."
French journalist Daniel Riolo warned, "His father, Wilfried Mbappé, as his mentor, instilled the philosophy that 'forwards do not have to defend.' Changing that is very difficult," adding, "But in modern football, it will be a problem if that DNA is not changed."
Acheshour asserted, "If results are bad, Mbappé will bear the image responsibility."
By contrast, teammate Vinícius defended Mbappé. At a press conference the day before, he emphasized, "Of course it bothers me, but people are free to say what they want. We must stick together. We must understand what the coach wants, what the club wants, and be connected with the fans."
He added firmly, "We cannot change or be influenced by things that come from outside. If we come together, we can lift each other up, and there are still two months left."
Real Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa also emphasized, "What matters is my opinion, not what I can hear," adding, "Mbappé is one of the best players in the world. There is no coach who would not want him. Having a player like him is lucky for me."
When Josep Pedrerol of El Chiringuito said, "Mbappé did not understand what Real is," Arbeloa dismissed it, saying, "He knows perfectly what Real is. We all saw the young Mbappé dreaming in a Real jersey. He did everything to come here. Ask me again after the tie with Bayern."
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