Kylian Mbappé’s France Success Shows What Real Madrid Is Missing | OneFootball

Alongside the ultimate goal of leading France to its third World Cup title, Kylian Mbappé continues to show his attacking prowess. On the second matchday of Group I, he scored a brace against Iraq in France’s 3-0 victory.

The French striker reached four goals in the tournament and is one behind Lionel Messi and two behind in the all-time World Cup top scorers list, which has the Argentine at the top with 18 goals.

Kylian Mbappé Chasing All-Time World Cup Record

The opening goal for the French national team came after a play in which Michael Olise fought for possession before playing a through ball to Mbappé, who finished with more power than precision.

Mbappé’s second goal came nine minutes into the second half, after an unusual error between the Iraqi goalkeeper and a defender from a goal kick, which allowed Ousmane Dembele to steal the ball and then set up Mbappe for the 2-0.

Five minutes later, Dembélé himself, with a cross-shot, sealed the 3-0 victory, in a play that arose from another lapse in the Iraqi defense, well capitalized on by Didier Deschamps’ men.

Mbappé, 27, continues to write his own legend and positions himself as the central figure of the French national team, with a clarity and determination that resonates in every corner of the pitch.

The Real Madrid striker arrived at this World Cup with 12 goals. He had scored four at Russia 2018 and eight at Qatar 2022, where he was the tournament’s Golden Boot, one ahead of Messi.

With the goals he scored against Senegal and the two on Monday against Iraq, Mbappé reached German Miroslav Klose and surpassed Brazilian Ronaldo Nazario. Most surprisingly, the Frenchman reached 16 goals in just 16 matches spread across three World Cups.

Just as the Qatar 2022 final was decided between the two stars, today the battle seems to have expanded into a historic World Cup.

Of course, the Frenchman has a huge advantage. Messi is 39 years old, compared to Mbappé’s 27, meaning the Frenchman will, in principle and barring any issues, have at least two more tournaments ahead to extend that number.

Why Kylian Mbappé’s France Success Hasn’t Translated to Club Level

With all of this in mind, the question arises: why has Mbappé not been able to translate his success with the French national team into collective success at the club level?

Despite winning everything possible domestically with Paris Saint-Germain and breaking scoring records (256 goals in total), while also contributing a significant number of assists (91) and overall goal involvements, he was never able to deliver the long-awaited UEFA Champions League title for PSG. Ironically, that trophy arrived for the French club after Mbappé left for Real Madrid.

And now, why has he not been able to achieve that same collective success during his first two years at Real Madrid despite continuing to shine individually?

There are several factors to consider.

To begin with, there is the tactical stability he enjoys with the French national team. Didier Deschamps has been in charge since Mbappé’s debut, allowing for genuine continuity. That is very different from constantly adapting to managerial changes, something he experienced at PSG and is now experiencing at Real Madrid.

During the past season alone, Real Madrid had two different coaches, Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa, and now Mbappé appears set to adapt once again, this time to Jose Mourinho’s style.

While France offers a solid and clearly defined system that maximizes his strengths, there is a very clear imbalance at Real Madrid.

When Kroos left, Real Madrid responded by signing Mbappé, which makes little sense when comparing the two profiles.

Los Blancos already had a strong attack featuring Vinícius Juníor, Rodrygo, and Karim Benzema before the Frenchman departed for Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia, with Joselu later helping fill the void. Jude Bellingham arrived before Mbappé to further strengthen the attack, and the formula worked, with the club even winning the UEFA Champions League in 2023-24.

However, by adding Mbappé to the equation without replacing Kroos and also failing to replace Luka Modrić, the team became unbalanced.

Mbappé needs an elite midfield behind him capable of handling defensive duties, ball recoveries, pressing, controlling the tempo of matches, and creating dangerous opportunities.

That may sound like a lot to ask, but there are midfielders who fit that profile, such as PSG duo Vitinha and João Neves, or Barcelona’s Pedri, who is much closer to home from Real Madrid’s perspective.

Ultimately, whether Mbappé can replicate his collective success with France at Real Madrid will depend heavily on the quality of the club’s sporting project.