Kylian Mbappé

Barcelona are searching for options to strengthen their forward line this summer, and it appears they are looking at more veteran options. For some time they have been linked with Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez, but the Argentina international may be out of reach for their finances. On Friday, it came as a surprise when […] The post Barcelona have 31-year-old number nine on shortlist as Julian Alvarez alternative appeared first on Football España.

Written by Harry Gillies. “What did you think of the sending off?” The Spanish press lobbed the question at Bayern’s manager, as they had to every passing player, but Vincent Kompany just smiled and said, “If you look at the game we can talk about some other situations as well.” Not that his words will […] The post Analysis: As Real Madrid career towards premature end to season, what’s left at the end of it? appeared first on Football España.

FC Bayern Munich booked their place in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals after a dramatic 6-4 aggregate victory over Real Madrid. The tie took a decisive turn late on when Madrid were reduced to ten men following an 86th-minute red card to Eduardo Camavinga. Bayern capitalized on the advantage, with late goals from Luis Díaz [...] The post UEFA Champions League: Bayern, PSG, Arsenal and Atlético Madrid reach semi-finals first appeared on Sahara Football.

Juventus have maintained a long-standing interest in Gonzalo Garcia, who has struggled for consistent playing time at Real Madrid… The post Como will compete with Juventus for Real Madrid attacker appeared first on Juvefc.com.

After being eliminated by Bayern Munich in the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League, Kylian Mbappe made a reassuring message to the fans that Real Madrid "will start winning again and very soon." Kylian Mbappe’s dream of capturing a UEFA Champions League title has been deferred for at least another season following a quarterfinal exit at the hands of Bayern Munich. In the midst of what has been a frustrating campaign for Real Madrid, Mbappe delivered a defiant message to the fanbase, promising that the club “will start winning again soon.“ Wednesday’s elimination via a 6-4 aggregate scoreline served as a crushing blow for a Real Madrid side that had pinned its primary championship hopes on Europe, with Barcelona currently the heavy favorites to secure La Liga. Despite Mbappe netting the third goal for the Spanish giants, he was unable to stave off elimination in what was statistically his most prolific individual scoring campaign in the competition’s history. In his first public comments following the defeat, Mbappe took to Instagram to offer a candid self-assessment of the team’s current form: “We tried until the very end, but it wasn’t enough. It’s disappointing to be eliminated from such an important competition, but we have to look ahead. We need to take a hard look at ourselves to avoid this kind of disappointment again.“ After that wake-up call to his teammates, the French striker made it clear that the club expects to be back in the trophy hunt sooner than later. “We will never give up!!! In Madrid, failure has never been and never will be an option. But I promise you one thing: we will start winning again and very soon,” Mbappe concluded. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kylian Mbappé (@k.mbappe) Mbappe’s individual impact during the 2025-26 Champions League campaign was undeniable, as he racked up 15 goals in just 11 appearances. While he reached the 70-goal milestone for his UCL career, his individual brilliance couldn’t mask the team’s lack of cohesion, a process hindered by significant organizational turmoil, including the dismissal of head coach Xabi Alonso back in January. Real Madrid and a 2025-26 season to forget With 40 goals and six assists across 39 games so far, Kylian Mbappe has indisputably been the lone bright spot for Real Madrid this season. However, questions regarding the squad’s over-reliance on the star striker have intensified, casting a spotlight on the fact that despite a roster full of superstars, this iteration of Los Blancos has failed to gel as a collective unit. The 2024-25 season, the final chapter of the Carlo Ancelotti era, saw the club lift the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup while falling short of major domestic and European honors. While the appointment of Xabi Alonso initially sparked hope during the FIFA Club World Cup, a crushing defeat in the Spanish Super Cup proved to be the tipping point that led to his midseason exit. Real Madrid Castilla coach Alvaro Arbeloa stepped in to lead the first team but has struggled to stabilize the ship. Under his watch, the club suffered a shock Copa del Rey exit to second-tier Albacete and the recent Champions League heartbreak against Bayern. Currently, La Liga is being dominated by Barcelona, sitting at the top with 79 points in 31 games and a 9-point difference to second-placed Real Madrid. With just seven games remaining, Los Merengues are on the verge of their first trophyless season since 2020-21, the final hallmark of a campaign the club would rather forget.

Is Kylian Mbappé actually the issue at Real Madrid? We break down his trophy drought since joining, while his former club continues to thrive without him, and debate whether Harry Kane has quietly become the Ballon d’Or frontrunner. Then Sophia Wilson joins us to talk about leaving soccer at the door, motherhood, and what really drives her as a competitor. Finally, Kaylyn Kyle stops by to unpack Javier Mascherano’s shock exit from Inter Miami CF, Nashville SC’s statement win, and what it all means for the future of MLS and the USMNT.

The Real Madrid star is still searching for his first UCL trophy, but he's breaking records in the process. Leer

Vinicius Junior surpassed a Lionel Messi assist record in the UEFA Champions League during Real Madrid’s loss to Bayern Munich, although Cristiano Ronaldo still leads the all-time list. Real Madrid were eliminated from the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League after falling to Bayern Munich on Wednesday in Germany. However, the match allowed Vinicius Junior to surpass a Lionel Messi mark and move closer to Cristiano Ronaldo. Vini produced a brilliant play and assisted Kylian Mbappe on Real Madrid’s third goal in the closing minutes of the first half, which temporarily put the Spanish side level in the tie. With that contribution, the Brazilian winger reached 13 assists in the knockout stages of the European competition. In doing so, Vinicius moved past Lionel Messi for second place in the all-time rankings in that category. The Argentine forward had recorded 12 assists in Champions League knockout matches during his time with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. Cristiano Ronaldo remains at the top of the list, having recorded a total of 15 assists in the tournament’s knockout stages across his spells with Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus. No other player has come close to those numbers, but Vinicius, at just 25 years old, needs only three more to claim the all-time record. IT'S MBAPPE'S TURN! 😱 OH MY GOODNESS, WHAT A MATCH! #UCL pic.twitter.com/g0RYwP92aF — DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) April 15, 2026 Vinicius also draws level with Neymar That assist to Mbappe at the Allianz Arena also helped Vinicius climb the all-time Champions League assist rankings, including both the knockout rounds and the group stage. Vini is now tied with Neymar for fourth place on the list with 33 assists, and he has strong prospects of closing in on the top spots in the near future. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, as expected, are also in the top three, with the Portuguese star leading the way. However, there is another somewhat unexpected name included: Angel Di Maria, who played alongside both legends at Real Madrid and PSG, respectively. All-time Champions League assist leaders: 1- Cristiano Ronaldo (42) 2- Angel Di Maria (41) 3- Lionel Messi (40) 4- Neymar (33) 4- Vinicius (33) 6- Kevin De Bruyne (31) 6- Ryan Giggs (31) 8- Xavi Hernandez (30) 8- Thomas Muller (30) 10- Karim Benzema (29) 10- Andres Iniesta (29)

Is Kylian Mbappe a curse for Real Madrid? Following their aggregate defeat to Bayern Munich, Los Blancos face a managerial crisis and a squad regression that Florentino Perez must answer for. The fallout from Real Madrid’s 6-4 aggregate defeat against Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final will inevitably rumble on for several weeks. The competition was Madrid’s last realistic route to major silverware in a season which promised a lot, but will ultimately deliver nothing. Barring a monumental collapse by Barcelona in La Liga, the 15-time European champions will end a second consecutive campaign without a trophy. With that in mind, read on as we assess the repercussions for Real Madrid, starting with an issue which has been entirely of their own making. Mbappe has proved to be a curse rather than a blessing Kylian Mbappe is one of the best forwards in the world. That point is evidenced by his tally of 84 goals in 98 appearances for Los Blancos. However, his desire to be the ‘main man’ is not only a problem Madrid didn’t need, but one which they could have avoided. Mbappe scored 256 goals in 308 for Paris Saint-Germain. However, his efforts in front of goal failed to deliver the desired results in the Champions League. In their first season without the French international in their team, PSG were crowned kings of Europe. They have reached the semi-finals again this season. By contrast, Mbappe has made Madrid worse. They won La Liga and the Champions League in 20234/24 – since then, they have suffered a series of disappointments. The 27-year-old’s ego was problematic when he was at PSG, and has continued to upset the equilibrium in Madrid’s dressing room. Players such as Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior are no shrinking violets, yet are expected to play second fiddle to the ‘Mbappe Show’. Intriguingly, Madrid looked far more coherent as a team when Mbappe was recently sidelined with a knee injury. With Vinicius and Brahim Diaz leading the line, they were more balanced. It may seem churlish to question a player who has scored goals for fun in Madrid colours, but it cannot be ignored that they have regressed since signing him. Arbeloa on shaky ground after Champions League exit Madrid’s decision to appoint Xabi Alonso as manager last summer appeared to be a sensible decision with SportsView and other major football publications all predicting success for Los Blancos, but he lasted just seven months. At a club packed with egos and led by president Florentino Perez, the former Bayer Leverkusen boss was always likely to be on a hiding to nothing. Alonso quickly lost the dressing room, with Vinicius and Federico Valverde amongst the players who publicly expressed disapproval at his methods. Appointing Alvaro Arbeloa as Alonso’s replacement was no real surprise. He had done well with the club’s youth and ‘B’ teams, so was viewed as a steady pair of hands. Arbeloa responded to Flick’s comments However, the club’s failure to specify the length of his contract when he was placed in charge suggested that they were unsure whether he was the right man for the job. A record of 13 wins and one draw in 21 matches highlights why Madrid may have been reluctant to confirm whether he was a long-term appointment. Arbeloa will reportedly be replaced this summer, with Perez seemingly eager to bring in someone with a proven track record of success. That may be easier said than done given the dearth of viable options currently available. Madrid’s managerial options are thin on the ground Alonso seemed to be the ideal fit for Madrid. He was a former player who subsequently enjoyed success as a manager with Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. Sacking him after just seven months in charge did not seem like the brightest idea anyone had ever had, and developments this summer may hammer home that point. Several managers have been linked with the Madrid managerial job including Zinedine Zidane, Jurgen Klopp and Maurico Pochettino. Perez rates Zidane highly, but he seems destined to replace Didier Deschamps as the French national team manager at the end of the World Cup. Klopp would be welcomed with open arms at the Santiago Bernabeu, but has demonstrated no desire to leave his position as head of Red Bull’s football operations. Pochettino could be available after the World Cup, although nothing he has done with the United States national team suggests he is the right option for Madrid. Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola has been touted as a possibility after the club recently confirmed he will be leaving at the end of the season. Several pundits believe the 43-year-old is an ‘elite-level’ manager, but whether he is ready to step into the Madrid hot-seat is hugely debatable. Madrid’s eagerness to pander to egotistical players and dispense with Alonso’s services has created a problem that may find extremely difficult to fix this summer.

Kylian Mbappe added another historic chapter to his remarkable career on a painful night for Real Madrid, as the forward matched a major Champions League scoring mark previously set by Karim Benzema. Kylian Mbappe added another historic chapter to his remarkable career on a painful night for Real Madrid, as the forward matched a major Champions League scoring mark previously set by Karim Benzema. Although the Spanish club suffered elimination against Bayern, Mbappe still found a way to leave his stamp on the contest. The result was devastating for Los Blancos, but it also underlined how central Mbappe has become to the team’s future. Even in defeat, the French star continued his record-breaking run in Europe’s biggest club competition, showing why he remains one of soccer’s most decisive players. Bayern Munich produced a dramatic 4-3 victory over Real Madrid in the second leg of their quarter-final, sealing a 6-4 aggregate triumph and booking a place in the Champions League semi-final. The German club struck late through Luis Diaz and Michael Olise after a chaotic and emotional encounter. Bayern Munich ends Real Madrid’s European run Madrid had entered the match hoping for another famous comeback, but their resistance was broken in the closing stages. Tensions rose further when Eduardo Camavinga was sent off in the 86th minute, a decision that sparked furious protests from the visiting side. The match exploded into life almost immediately when Arda Guler scored after only 34 seconds following a mistake from Manuel Neuer. Bayern responded quickly through Aleksandar Pavlovic, setting the tone for an open and high-level contest. Harry Kane then added another goal for Bayern after Guler had restored Madrid’s lead earlier in the half. Vinicius hit the crossbar before creating the chance that allowed Mbappe to score and keep Madrid alive before the interval. That finish from the French superstar briefly gave the Spanish club the belief that momentum was shifting. Instead, Bayern’s late push proved decisive as the Bundesliga giant surged through. Mbappe matches Benzema’s historic mark While the team’s result was bitterly disappointing, Mbappe still reached several significant milestones with his goal. Among the many records, Mbappe tied Karim Benzema for second place among Frenchmen in a single Champions League season with 15 goals scored in one season. That places him alongside one of Real Madrid’s greatest modern forwards and another legendary French striker. Benzema achieved the feat during his Ballon d’Or-winning season, making Mbappe’s achievement even more notable given the pressure and expectations surrounding his first full era as Madrid’s attacking leader. Karim Benzema of Real Madrid shakes hands with head coach Jose Mourinho Only one French player has scored more in a single UEFA campaign, with Stéphane Guivarc’h’s 1997-98 tally for Auxerre still ahead. Mbappe is also now just two goals shy of Cristiano Ronaldo’s all-time single-season Champions League record of 17. Individual brilliance amid collective frustration Mbappe’s overall numbers this season remain extraordinary. He has scored 40 goals in 39 appearances across all competitions, a return that would usually place a player on course for multiple trophies. Instead, Madrid now faces the possibility of finishing the campaign empty-handed. The club is already out of the Champions League and Copa del Rey, while Barcelona holds a commanding lead in La Liga.