Dallas (United States) (AFP) – For France at the World Cup, Kylian Mbappe has not been able to stop scoring. For Real Madrid, he has not always been able to stop the criticism.
Issued on: 13/07/2026 - 21:24
3 min Reading time
It is one of the puzzling paradoxes of this World Cup: France captain Mbappe is shining as brightly as ever for Les Bleus ahead of Tuesday's semi-final against Spain in Dallas. Mbappe's superb form in the United States comes just weeks after ending a mixed second season at Real Madrid that combined individual brilliance with collective failure.Real Madrid have won not a major trophy in the two years since Mbappe signed for the club in 2024.Yet the Spanish giants have just set a new tournament record at the World Cup, with the club's players scoring a record 19 goals throughout the tournament so far, surpassing the previous record of 18 shared by Hungary's Honved (1954), Bayern Munich (2014) and Paris Saint-Germain (2022).Remarkably, none of the Real Madrid players who have scored at this World Cup come from the Spain squad, which does not include a single player from the 36-time La Liga champions.
Deadly: Kylian Mbappe scores against Sweden in the World Cup round of 32 © CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP
