Kylian Mbappé is set to face a hostile reception from his own supporters when Real Madrid host Oviedo on Thursday night. The French forward, who missed the recent Clasico defeat to Barcelona, was jeered during the narrow victory over Alavés last week, and the mood has soured further amid a string of perceived missteps off the pitch.
The criticism stems from a series of incidents that have painted Mbappé as aloof and self-centered. While nursing an injury, he was spotted on vacation in Sardinia, triggering outrage among fans who expected him to focus on recovery. He also arrived just twelve minutes before kick-off for the away match at Espanyol, a gesture interpreted as a lack of professionalism. Adding fuel to the fire, cameras caught him smiling after a training-ground altercation between teammates Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni, and he posted a "Hala Madrid" message on social media while his team was losing to Barcelona.
These episodes have coalesced into a narrative of individualism that the Madrid press and fanbase find unacceptable. Pablo Polo, a journalist for Marca who has closely followed Mbappé since 2017, explains, "He is accused of only thinking about himself, not being involved enough for the collective, and not caring about the team's fate. He has projected an overly individualistic image lately."
Yet the scrutiny may say as much about Real Madrid's culture as about Mbappé himself. José Luis Sanchez, a veteran Real Madrid journalist for La Sexta and former club communications officer, insists such treatment is par for the course. "When Real Madrid is in crisis, you have to be even more beyond reproach, otherwise everyone comes down on you," he says. Former club president Ramón Calderón echoes this: "When Real Madrid doesn't win, the main target of criticism has always been the team's star. There isn't a great player who hasn't been whistled at and criticized."
The timing is particularly acute because Real Madrid have failed to secure a major trophy this season. The pressure cooker of the Bernabéu is unforgiving when silverware is absent, and Mbappé, as the highest-profile summer arrival, has become the lightning rod for collective disappointment. Polo notes that in such moments, "there is always a search for a scapegoat, and it's always the star." For critics of the club, targeting Mbappé is also a way to question the decisions of president Florentino Pérez, who made the Frenchman the centerpiece of his project.
Mbappé's treatment is not without precedent. Sanchez compares the media attention to that endured by Cristiano Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, and Luis Figo, but says it pales in comparison to the frenzy around David Beckham. "Beckham was an icon beyond football. He couldn't leave his house, was hounded by paparazzi, and there has never been so many journalists at the training ground every day. Mbappé doesn't experience that, although since he has been linked with actress Ester Expósito, the celebrity press has taken more interest."
The Frenchman, for his part, reportedly does not understand the cascade of attacks. After all, he has scored 41 goals in as many appearances across all competitions this season, an extraordinary return by any standard. But at Real Madrid, personal statistics are merely a footnote to collective success. Supporters and local media measure value in championships, not goal tallies, and without a league title or Champions League triumph, numbers can feel hollow.
The danger for both player and club is that the negativity spirals. Mbappé's relationship with the fans, already fragile, could deteriorate further if performances dip or if his body language is misread. The Clasico absence, for instance, was officially due to injury, but the last-minute withdrawal and subsequent controversy fed suspicion that he might have been protecting himself. The smile incident after the Valverde-Tchouaméni clash, however innocent, reinforced the image of a detached celebrity rather than a committed teammate.
For a player of Mbappé's global stature, the constant dissection of every gesture, tweet, and expression is the price of admission at the world's most demanding club. Sanchez underscores this reality: "Real Madrid is a religion for many. When you become a player here, you are one 24 hours a day. The media x-ray everything you do: a word, a post, a reaction, a gesture on or off the pitch, a celebration. Everything is relayed, dissected, discussed, and open to interpretation. That's normality here for the stars—the price to pay."
The upcoming match against Oviedo offers an immediate test. Should Mbappé find the net and lead Madrid to a convincing win, the narrative may soften, but only temporarily. At the Bernabéu, forgiveness is conditional and memories are long. As one fan banner reminded a struggling star in the past, "Here, we don't applaud you, we demand you." Mbappé, for all his talent, is learning that lesson the hard way.
Based on reporting from L'Equipe.
