"He's Just 18": Kylian Mbappe Delivers Powerful Defense of His Biggest Rival

In partnership with

Foot Africa

·10. Oktober 2025

"He's Just 18": Kylian Mbappe Delivers Powerful Defense of His Biggest Rival

Real Madrid star calls for respect for Yamal’s privacy amid growing rivalry with Barcelona talent

Photo: Getty Images

OneFootball Videos

The rivalry between Kylian Mbappe & Lamine Yamal has intensified over the past year both at club and international levels.

The young Spaniard’s Spain side defeated France in last year’s European Championship and Yamal also came out on top in his clashes with Real Madrid during the season.

Despite this competitive edge, Mbappe spoke with admiration saying in television interview:

"Lamine Yamal's shown he truly loves football and that passion's something he should never lose. As for his personal life, that’s his own matter"

“Se habla mucho de su vida personal pero hay que dejarle en paz”. 📼 Mbappé, sobre Lamine Yamal. ➡️ Este domingo, a las 21:00, en Movistar Plus+ (dial 7). #MbappéMovistarPlus
– Donnerstag, 9. Oktober 2025

Mbappe Defends Yamal from Public Scrutiny

Addressing media attention on Yamal’s off field life, Mbappe added:

"People talk a lot about his personal life but he’s just 18 year old. Everyone at that age makes mistakes and learns from them. What matters's what he does on the pitch .. and there, he’s already fantastic"

The Real Madrid forward concluded by offering words of encouragement:

"He’s incredibly talented and I hope he continues on his path & achieves the success he deserves. He just needs to stay focused on football"

Mbappe’s comments reflect growing mutual respect between 2 of Europe’s brightest stars whose rivalry's poised to define the next decade of world football.

🗣️ "Dos jugadores famosos en el mismo equipo venden mucho papel". La relación Vinícius - Mbappé en el Real Madrid. 🆕📽️ #MbappéMovistarPlus: este domingo, a las 21:00, en Movistar Plus+ (dial 7).
– Donnerstag, 9. Oktober 2025