Tension is beginning to surface inside the Real Madrid dressing room, and Kylian Mbappe is no longer hiding his frustration.
According to an update shared by ABC Sports, the French forward is increasingly irritated by what he sees as an irresponsible attitude from some of his teammates during a season that is starting to unravel at key moments.
Mbappe was one of the few Real Madrid players who faced the media after the damaging 4-2 defeat against Benfica in the UEFA Champions League.
That loss not only hurt Madrid’s pride but also pushed them out of the automatic round-of-16 places, forcing them into an unwanted playoff scenario.
The manner of the defeat, rather than the result alone, appears to have been the breaking point for the French star.
Mbappe’s assessment
The scale of Mbappe’s disappointment was evident in his brutally honest assessment of the match.
Reflecting on the match, he made it clear just how poorly Madrid performed.
“What we did today was not normal. I don’t have a clear explanation. We don’t have continuity in our play and that’s something we have to fix.
Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid player
Mbappe is not happy with the team’s mentality. (Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images)
“We can’t be on one day and off the next, that’s not what a championship team does,” he said.
Mbappe even went as far as to suggest that the scoreline could have been far worse, stating that had Real Madrid gone into the break losing 5-1, “nobody would have been shocked.”
Troubling times for Real Madrid
Notably, over the last two weeks, Real Madrid’s season has taken a worrying turn.
They were knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Albacete, a Segunda Division side and shortly after, they squandered their opportunity to secure a top-8 finish in the Champions League.
Taken together, these setbacks paint an uncomfortable picture and for Mbappe, the issue is not just tactical or technical, but mental.
There is a growing sense that this squad lacks consistency, focus, and, most concerning of all, a collective winning mentality.
The talent is there, but the attitude has not matched the badge on too many occasions.