Kylian Mbappe criticism: Why Real Madrid star is under fire from supporters after injury recovery leaks

Kylian Mbappe is one of the biggest superstars in the football world, but that status has not shielded him from the tumultuous circumstances at Real Madrid.

Since arriving at the club two summers ago, the 27-year-old France international has been electric at the front of the Real Madrid attack. Yet that has not translated to team success, as Los Blancos have endured two rocky years of competitive struggles compared to their usual world-class standards.

On the brink of a rare trophy-less season, Madrid fans are looking to dissect the team's struggles and Mbappe has been placed squarely in their crosshairs.

The Sporting News explains why Mbappe is being criticized despite his superstar levels of performance, and how the toxic nature of Real Madrid's dressing room is feeding these reports.

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Why is Kylian Mbappe being criticized by Real Madrid fans?

Real Madrid's lackluster 2025/26 has become a firestorm of blame and criticism as fans and club executives look to unearth the reasons behind their recent slide into silverware obscurity.

One of the main scapegoats of late has been Mbappe, who joined the club in the summer of 2024 from PSG to worldwide fanfare. Yet despite performing at peak individual levels from a goal-scoring perspective, Mbappe only has the 2024 UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Intercontinental Cup - trophies won in one-off matches - to show for his efforts.

Despite his exceptional individual performances, winning La Liga top goalscorer in his first season and leading the table for the award again this term, and challenging Cristiano Ronaldo's single-season goal scoring record in the Champions League, fans have begun to equate Mbappe's arrival with the club's downturn simply by association.

This has led to an increased sensitivity around Mbappe's conduct within the team. Thus, a recent perception that Mbappe has let his dedication slip has resulted in an outburst of criticism from Madridistas.

The 27-year-old has been absent with a hamstring injury, but was photographed on holiday in Paris and Sardinia recently, raising questions about his dedication, particularly as he arrived back in Madrid just 12 minutes before kickoff of the club's recent match against Espanyol, a game in which he was not fit to participate.

Following that, various reports began circulating among the Spanish newspapers and beyond about unrest within the Real Madrid squad centered around Mbappe. The Athletic reported that Mbappe was involved in a heated argument with a member of the club's coaching staff during training in late April. The report noted that while incidents such as this are not uncommon at big clubs around Europe and the world, they suggest a "worsening of the mood around Madrid" and are therefore "notable."

Additionally, Marca reported that Mbappe has found himself more isolated at Real Madrid recently. "The main problem with Mbappe is that he has grown apart from the team," the report reads. "In Valdebebas, they whisper about some controversial attitudes from the player that have not gone down well in the dressing room."

The report also states that while Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. are on good terms personally, as evidenced by a recent dinner the two enjoyed together along with their partners, there remains a "power struggle" between the two, which is "clearly tilting the way of the Brazilian." The report argues that when Vinicius leads the side, there is a greater effort from the group as a whole, while they lack that same extra punch when Mbappe is in the team.

All this has culminated in fan unrest, which has peaked with an online petition to see Mbappe leave the team, an effort which has garnered over 2 million signatures as of the publication of this article. The petition features a photo of Mbappe in a Real Madrid kit with "FUERA" in large letters stamped on top, along with "Mbappe Out" underneath. This image has been repurposed on social media where it has been used en masse as a stock reply to Real Madrid content.

How has Kylian Mbappe responded to criticism?

Kylian Mbappe has responded to the recent criticism, saying that various claims have been taken out of context and used in an effort to turn the fanbase against him.

In a statement provided to multiple news agencies on May 5, Mbappe claims that the recent vitriol has come from an "overinterpretation" of events, suggesting that people are reading more into certain circumstances than are actually based in truth.

"A portion of the criticism is based on an over-interpretation of elements related to a recovery period strictly supervised by the club, and does not reflect the reality of Kylian’s commitment and daily work for the team," the statement read. The note about the recovery period suggests this came in response to the criticism about his injury rehab and subsequent departure from the country to travel while recovering.

Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa has also come to Mbappe's defence in the matter.

"All the planning regarding the injured players is supervised by Real Madrid medical staff," Arbeloa said during his post-match press conference following Real Madrid's 2-0 win over Espanyol. "They control when the players have to be at [Real Madrid training ground] Valdebebas. In their free time the players can do as they see fit, I don't get involved in that.

"I don't doubt the commitment of any of my players."

However, The Athletic's report stated that behind the scenes, Arbeloa is "not happy with the way the case has been managed by the club."

Who is Kylian Mbappe's girlfriend?

Reports claim that Kylian Mbappe has been dating Spanish actress and model Ester Exposito.

Exposito has risen to high levels of stardom in Spain thanks to her starring role in the Netflix series Elite, which ran from 2018 to 2021.

The two were spotted in Sardinia during Mbappe's recent holiday, photographed on the back of a yacht while enjoying the sun in Italy while also captured on video walking through the streets of Cagliari.

Their relationship has not been made official, with rumors of their romance instead fueled by paparazzi photographs and tabloid reports.