Rafael van der Vaart claims that Kylian Mbappé “doesn’t like” being treated differently from Cristiano Ronaldo and finds it difficult to accept being seen as “just another player.” According to Van der Vaart, Mbappé feels the weight of the comparisons and struggles with the expectations that come with being placed in the same category as football legends like Ronaldo.
WHAT HAPPENED?The World Cup-winning French star joined Real Madrid as another marquee ‘Galactico’ signing in the summer of 2024. Expectations were high, with many anticipating that he would become a key figure for Los Blancos, and discussions about him scoring 50 goals a season quickly circulated following his arrival.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Mbappe has faced more challenges than anticipated. The 25-year-old has been shifted from his preferred left-wing position to a central striker role and has developed an unfortunate tendency to miss penalties. At times, he has appeared frustrated, as the former Paris Saint-Germain star has yet to attain the kind of iconic status in Madrid that Cristiano Ronaldo once enjoyed.
WHAT VAN DER VAART SAID
Ex-Real Madrid midfielder Van der Vaart spoke to BetMGM about Mbappe’s struggles in Spain: “I don’t think he feels fully welcomed at Real Madrid yet. Moving from being the star at PSG to one of many players is tough. He has to learn to share the spotlight, and that’s difficult.”
Van der Vaart compared the situation to Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival at Madrid, noting, “When Ronaldo came to Madrid, we all knew he got whatever he wanted, like taking free kicks or penalties. But that’s not the case with Mbappe, and it seems like he doesn’t like that. He wants to be the star, but at Real Madrid, he’s just another player, which is hard for him to accept.”
He continued, “Mbappe has all the talent in the world, but I believe he’s most effective from the left side. Given that, I don’t understand why they signed him, especially when they already have a world-class player like Vinicius Jr. in that position.”
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DID YOU KNOW?
Van der Vaart – who also spent time with the likes of Ajax and Tottenham in his playing days – went on to say of the issues that Mbappe is having to contend with in the Spanish capital, as he scratches around for a professional spark: “You can’t forget how much pressure there is playing for Madrid. Every day is like a game day there – every training session is all over the papers and all people talk about is football.
“In London, you can sort of get away with going into town, not in Madrid. I never saw the centre of the city while I was a player there.”
WHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE?
Mbappe has reached double figures for goals in 2024-25, with the target being found on 10 occasions through 20 appearances in all competitions, but that tally could have been considerably higher and questions continue to be asked of his suitability to Carlo Ancelotti’s star-studded ranks.