Real Madrid: China controversy, Mbappé unfazed ahead of Racing Santander

The Frenchman remains very calm

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Real Madrid: China controversy, Mbappé unfazed ahead of Racing Santander

Live HT LaLiga Spain

Racing Santander

Real Madrid

Just hours before this Sunday’s match between Racing Santander and Real Madrid, Kylian Mbappé does not appear to be bothered by the controversy with China.

Clearly, Kylian Mbappé does not seem to have been affected by the events of the past week. After coming very close to winning the 2026 Ballon d’Or, ultimately won by Harry Kane by just 28 points, the French striker also found himself at the heart of a major diplomatic controversy with China following comments he made about Mao Zedong. These episodes reportedly did not affect his preparations.

Mbappé unfazed

According to information from L’Équipe, Kylian Mbappé, surprised by the scale of the controversy, remained "very calm" and trained "without a care in the world, studious and very focused," according to a member of the Madrid coaching staff. The Frenchman’s second-place finish in the Ballon d’Or may even have strengthened his determination to win more collective titles.

🚨 José Mourinho: “Mbappé is Mbappé, he is unique. We have the Ballon D’Or every year… …but the BEST player in the history of the World Cup is just ONE”. https://t.co/74RoHGXkUR
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 31, 2026

José Mourinho, for his part, praised his maturity ahead of the trip to Santander this Sunday.

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Joshua SOSSOU

Editorfr, en, ar

As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.