Real Madrid: what the media are demanding from Kylian Mbappé

In Spain, the press expects a lot from Mbappé this season

Europe Today at 06:22

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Real Madrid: what the media are demanding from Kylian Mbappé

16.08.26 FT Club Friendlies

Schalke 04

Real Madrid

Yesterday, Real Madrid played their final match before kicking off their La Liga campaign against Espanyol on Saturday night. Kylian Mbappé made his mark, but it wasn't enough to fully satisfy the Spanish press.

Real Madrid didn't play in the league this weekend, having been granted a postponement due to the large number of World Cup players in their squad. Instead, the club wrapped up their summer preparations with a friendly against Schalke 04. José Mourinho's men dominated the encounter (3-0), a match that also saw debuts for players like Marc Cucurella, Ibrahima Konaté, and Yan Diomandé, who came on in the second half.

🎥 RESUMEN: @s04_es 0-3 @RealMadrid pic.twitter.com/ePl5nxAEYW
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) August 16, 2026

Kylian Mbappé was also making his big return. The Frenchman caused serious problems for the opposition. He opened the scoring within minutes, capitalizing on a poorly executed back pass to beat Karius one-on-one, and proved to be a constant threat. Spain is already buzzing with excitement.

Spain demands trophies from Mbappé

The Spanish press has reminded Mbappé that this year, titles are a must. “The boss is still Mbappé,” headlines the newspaper AS in a particularly glowing article. “Mbappé is the true leader on the pitch for this project, built to reclaim the path to silverware,” the article reads. In another piece, AS notes that he was clearly the best player of the first half. “If Kylian wants to claim Real Madrid legend status, much of that journey will be decided by June. And everything is in his favor, as the club has surrounded him with the best possible teammates—and the best of all, Mourinho. The third time should be the charm,” Marca added.

At Cadena SER, renowned columnist Tomas Roncero also expects to see Mbappé lifting a major trophy by the end of his third season in Madrid. “I think the third one will be the right one. Statistically, Mbappé is unique, but he still lacks trophies. I believe this year will be his year,” he stated.

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.