Mbappe faces defining Real Madrid season after World Cup heartbreak and Mourinho arrival

Kylian Mbappe’s bid to reignite his global star power has ended in crushing disappointment, with France’s World Cup semi-final defeat to Spain drawing a line under one of the most demanding seasons of his career – and ushering in a make-or-break era at Real Madrid under Jose Mourinho.

The 27-year-old forward saw his World Cup dream evaporate in Dallas, where Luis de la Fuente’s Spain dominated France and denied Mbappe both a place in the final and the chance to add to his tally of eight goals at the tournament. For France, champions in 2018 and finalists in 2022, it marked a premature exit; for Mbappe, it closed the door on a season in which he again failed to lead Real Madrid to major silverware.

The French captain will now take a three-week holiday before reporting back to Madrid in the first week of August, with expectations and pressure higher than at any time since his arrival at the Bernabeu.

Madrid numbers impressive – but trophies missing

Since joining Real Madrid, Mbappe has been prolific in front of goal, yet his individual exploits have not translated into the kind of collective dominance the club demands.

He scored 44 goals in his first season in Spain, a campaign in which Madrid secured only two minor trophies. He followed that with 42 goals in his second year – but the team finished the season without a single major title.

Those returns stand in stark contrast to the club’s form before his arrival. In the season immediately preceding Mbappe’s move, Real Madrid won five of the six trophies available, including both the Champions League and La Liga, reasserting their status as Europe’s pre-eminent force.

Adding to the scrutiny, Paris St-Germain – whom Mbappe left after the 2023-24 campaign – went on to conquer Europe in each of the two seasons after his departure. For many observers, that surge has been interpreted as evidence that the French champions have successfully moved on from reliance on their former talisman.

Ronaldo benchmark looms over Mbappe

The standard Mbappe is now being measured against is the one set by Cristiano Ronaldo during Mourinho’s spell at Real Madrid – and he will attempt to reach it under the same manager.

With Mourinho on the bench, Ronaldo became a relentless scoring machine, surpassing the 50-goal mark in a season several times. His peak came in 2011-12, when he struck 60 goals in what is widely regarded as one of the greatest campaigns in La Liga history.

Ronaldo was 27 then – the same age Mbappe is now. Yet the Frenchman’s best seasonal tally remains 44 goals, a figure he has reached twice: first with Paris St-Germain in 2023-24, and then with Real Madrid in 2024-25.

In the most recent season his total dipped to 42, a decline linked to a knee injury that, according to Spanish newspaper Marca, generated significant debate behind the scenes at the club and even involved the medical staff.

Injury questions and off‐pitch criticism

The concerns over Mbappe’s year have not been limited to his fitness and finishing. Some of his off-pitch decisions have also drawn criticism from sections of the Real Madrid fanbase.

His repeated trips back to France – sometimes accompanied by club specialists and his partner – raised eyebrows among supporters already nervous about the team’s faltering form. Many expected the forward to exhibit a sharper focus during what was seen as one of the most challenging periods in the club’s recent history.

Such scrutiny has only intensified after France’s failure to reach the World Cup final, a tournament Mbappe and his entourage had ringfenced as an ideal stage to restore his status among the game’s undisputed elite and keep alive his ambitions of winning the Ballon d’Or.

Career crossroads under Mourinho

With the World Cup ending in disappointment, Mbappe is acutely aware that the coming season will be pivotal. Talent and goals, he now knows, are no longer sufficient on their own; consistent leadership and major trophies are the metrics by which he will be judged in Madrid.

His overarching ambition is to write his name into Real Madrid’s history in the same indelible fashion as Ronaldo. To achieve that, he must not only maintain his scoring levels but also elevate them to new heights – precisely the transformation Mourinho once oversaw with the Portuguese forward.

As pre-season approaches, Mbappe stands at a crossroads: either he adapts, thrives and becomes the next great Bernabeu icon, or his time in Spain risks being remembered as a story of brilliant numbers overshadowed by the absence of the game’s biggest prizes.