Kylian Mbappe faces defining third season at Real Madrid

Kylian Mbappe enters his third season at Real Madrid with enormous expectations.

Despite producing outstanding individual numbers, the French forward is still searching for a major trophy with the Spanish giants, making the upcoming campaign especially important.

Mbappe has won two consecutive Pichichi awards since arriving in Madrid. He scored 31 league goals in 2024/25 and followed that with 25 in the latest Liga season. In Europe, he finished as the Champions League’s leading scorer with 15 goals in 11 appearances, including 13 during the league phase.

However, injuries affected his influence during crucial matches. A knee problem kept him out for nine games, while limited involvement against Benfica, Manchester City and Bayern Munich highlighted Real Madrid’s need for Mbappe to decide knockout fixtures rather than simply score regularly.

José Mourinho’s planned 4-2-3-1 system could place Mbappe at centre-forward, with new signing Ousmane Diomande adding pace on the right. Yet the attack still needs better creativity. Mbappé’s partnership with Vinicius Jr remains awkward, while Jude Bellingham’s style does not always maximise the striker’s strengths.

Beyond tactics, Mbappe must become a unifying leader. Real Madrid expect their captain to guide the team, build stronger relationships inside the dressing room and finally turn remarkable statistics into silverware.