Byline: Arinze Izik | May 6, 2026
Kylian Mbappe arrived at Real Madrid in 2024 idolizing Cristiano Ronaldo, even staging his Santiago Bernabeu presentation as a tribute to the club’s greatest modern icon. The mutual respect between the Portuguese legend and the French star was never in doubt. But behind the admiration, Ronaldo harbored doubts about whether Mbappe would actually make Madrid stronger.
Two years on, those doubts look prophetic.
PSG have reached a second consecutive Champions League final under Luis Enrique without Mbappe, built around a “team as the superstar” model and Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele. Meanwhile, Madrid face a second straight season without a trophy, with reports of dressing room unrest and a squad in disarray. For many Madridistas, the question is unavoidable: where did it go wrong?
For a growing number, the common factor is Mbappe.
When he joined in 2024, Madrid were fresh off a La Liga and Champions League double, playing fluid, dynamic football with Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, and Jude Bellingham in attack without a fixed striker. Mbappe’s arrival shifted the balance, but not for the better. Critics argue the wages spent on KM10 could have gone toward replacing Toni Kroos in midfield or signing the center-backs Carlo Ancelotti repeatedly requested.
Ronaldo saw it coming. Speaking to Rio Ferdinand shortly after Mbappe’s move, the Al Nassr forward was cautious.
“I can’t tell you. Mbappe will go there now. How would you say Madrid is going to be better or going to be… We don’t know. Let’s see. I think Madrid will keep strong, but I don’t know if they will be better than last year. I don’t know. Let’s see. Only God knows. But they have a fantastic team, fantastic players,” Ronaldo said.
Now, that warning feels prescient. Madrid are not PSG, and PSG have proven they don’t need Mbappe to dominate Europe. Ironically, the French club are now the team to beat without their former poster boy.
The case against Mbappe is not just about goals. Critics say he has not matched the intensity and work rate that defined Ronaldo at Madrid. He doesn’t chase back after losing possession, doesn’t position himself optimally, and often lacks the urgency to drag the team forward in big moments.
Madrid are not better with Mbappe, and in many ways, they look worse. Ronaldo never said it outright, but he hinted at it when few others dared to imagine it. Two years later, the evidence is hard to ignore.
