French football pundit Daniel Riolo has criticized Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé, asserting that the French star is “wasting his life” by playing out of position.
Mbappé, who has Cameroonian and Algerian heritage, joined Real Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2024.
Following Real Madrid’s 2-1 defeat to Arsenal in the Champions League quarterfinals, which resulted in a 5-1 aggregate loss, Riolo expressed his concerns on RMC’s After Foot program.
He emphasized that Mbappé’s deployment as a central striker does not align with his strengths.
“His place is not as number 9. If Vinicius leaves at the end of the season, ok. But for two years, Mbappé has been wasting himself in a role that is not his,” Riolo stated in an interview with RMC.
“He does what he can, he scores goals, another thirty this year, some are magnificent, others very easy.”
Riolo acknowledged Mbappé’s goal-scoring record but argued that it masks the underlying issue of positional misalignment.
“From the moment you’re up front, it’s normal to score. But how long will he waste himself in this position?”
He further suggested that Mbappé should either regain the physical attributes that made him successful on the wing or reconsider his current role.
“Either he finds a real physique—and he’s not far from having it completely—to play again in the position that made him famous, or he persists in wanting to play 9 and he’ll waste himself.”
Riolo concluded with a stark observation: “We had a fantastic player from the age of 17 to 25, which is already not bad.
“But now, unless he changes, we won’t see the Mbappé we knew again.”
Mbappé’s performance against Arsenal was underwhelming, with no shots on target before he was substituted in the 75th minute due to injury.
As Real Madrid looks ahead, discussions about Mbappé’s optimal position on the field continue to be a focal point.
