Written with the help of artificial-intelligence tools and checked by automated controls.
This content was machine-translated from the French version.
Kylian Mbappé went through another Madrid day under pressure, caught between criticism from the Spanish media and the expected response on the pitch. After missing his penalty against Real Betis and holding a press conference in which he openly embraced his individual ambitions, the French forward was targeted by several columnists. That same evening, his goal against Inter Milan served as a reminder of an obvious truth: at Real Madrid, the debate never disappears; it simply changes shape.
A Controversy Born of a Misstep
It all began with two images that quickly stick to a player of this stature: a Real Madrid defeat away to Betis and a major chance squandered.
It all began with two images that quickly stick to a player of this stature: a Real Madrid defeat away to Betis and a major chance squandered. At a club where every result becomes raw material for radio talk shows, Mbappé was not judged solely on his performance. His attitude, his words, and even the way he embraced the Ballon d’Or were put under the microscope.
The most widely repeated criticism came from Radio Marca, where Raul Varela accused the Frenchman of giving a speech that was too self-centered before Real’s Champions League opener. The general idea was clear: Madrid expects fewer sound bites and more important goals. This criticism is nothing new around Mbappé, but it has taken on particular resonance since he began wearing the white shirt, where Cristiano Ronaldo’s legacy still serves as the benchmark—sometimes with questionable flexibility.
The Pitch as an Immediate Response
The best possible response did not require many words. Against Inter Milan, in Real’s European opener, Mbappé scored in a 2-1 victory at the Santiago Bernabéu. The result did not erase everything: Madrid struggled, Inter had the ball, and the closing stages confirmed that José Mourinho’s team is not yet a perfectly tuned machine. But the French forward moved the debate back to where he prefers to keep it: inside the box.
His goal came early, in a match where Real took advantage of their opponents’ mistakes before holding on. For Mbappé, that is a detail that matters. Spanish criticism is not aimed solely at his statistical output, which is often high, but at his influence in the moments when Madrid turns a difficult match into a successful evening. In the Champions League, that kind of contribution carries more weight than a carefully crafted statement.
Pressure That Won’t Let Up
The paradox remains. Mbappé can score, make his ambitions clear, attract the spotlight, and still be reminded of what he has not yet won with Real. The Spanish media sometimes criticize his lack of efficiency, sometimes his language, and sometimes the gap between his numbers and the team’s collective titles. It is harsh, but it is also the house price at a club where patience is rarely included with the membership.
The Frenchman nevertheless offered a fairly simple line in his press conference: he wants to score and win. The debate is not absurd because these two demands coexist uneasily, but because they do not always offset each other. A goal in September does not settle a season. One bad evening does not define a player.
What comes next will show whether this European start brings calm or merely a pause in the ongoing trial. For Mbappé, the schedule offers something precious: repeated high-level matches, and therefore plenty of opportunities to turn the noise around him into a secondary storyline.