Kylian Mbappe has stated that he should not be treated as an exception to criticism at Real Madrid, while also dismissing concerns that his focus has already shifted to the World Cup with France.
The forward has had his playing time carefully managed since December due to a recurring knee issue, which also caused him to miss five matches earlier this month. He returned to action for Madrid before the international break and made an impact for France in their 2-1 friendly win over Brazil, scoring the opening goal.
Despite being sidelined for a total of 10 games since last summer’s Club World Cup, Mbappe remains Madrid’s top scorer across all competitions, with 38 goals in 35 appearances—averaging one strike every 76 minutes.
Madrid return to LaLiga action away to Mallorca on April 4, currently trailing leaders Barcelona by four points. They remain in Champions League contention as well, with a quarter-final showdown against Bayern Munich on the horizon.
Mbappe insisted his attention is fully on those challenges as he looks to finish the season with trophies.
Speaking to Telefoot ahead of France’s friendly with Colombia, he addressed concerns over his focus. He noted that people in Spain worry he might ease off ahead of the World Cup, but added that the best way to prepare is to win everything possible with Madrid beforehand.
He explained that Real Madrid holds near-religious significance for fans in Spain, and while the surrounding discussion and speculation can sometimes be justified, other times it is not. Mbappe said that handling criticism is simply part of the territory, pointing out that legendary figures like Cristiano Ronaldo and Alfredo Di Stéfano faced scrutiny as well. He sees no reason to be exempt.
His approach, he said, is to remain calm, concentrate on the task at hand, and focus on how to improve his performance on the pitch.
Madrid have faced Bayern 22 times in the Champions League, winning 11 of those encounters. They are unbeaten in their last nine meetings with the German side. Mbappe has scored three goals against Bayern in seven previous matchups, all during his time with Paris Saint-Germain, and is looking forward to the high-stakes clash at the Santiago Bernabéu on April 7.
He described Bayern as the most in-form team in Europe at the moment, but expressed confidence that if any club can overcome them, it is Real Madrid. With both the Champions League and LaLiga still firmly in play, he emphasized that the upcoming weeks are extremely important.
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