Mbappe on Real Madrid criticism: My goals will never be a problem

Kylian Mbappe continues to be perplexed by the criticism he faces, though he has learned not to take it personally.

Mbappe, fresh off becoming the leading scorer in World Cup history (22 goals in 22 games), has started the 2026-27 campaign with five goals in as many matches for Real Madrid.

Since Mbappe made his Madrid debut at the start of the 2024-25 season, he has netted 91 goals for Los Blancos. In that same time, only Harry Kane (105) has scored more times among players who feature for a club in Europe's top five leagues.

However, Mbappe has come in for plenty of criticism during his time at Madrid, and was even jeered by sections of the club's fanbase last term.

Mbappe, though, insists any player scoring goals should never be seen as a problem for a team.

"I think it’s not normal, but that’s the life of someone who has been close to excellence for years," Mbappe told L'Equipe. 

"I'm no longer in the realm of novelty. Everyone has known for years what I can do. And I think that's where we enter the realm of human nature.

"It's human to always look at what someone doesn't do. When someone has been doing it for ten years, we stop looking at what they do. We know they can do it. So we always try to look at what they don’t do. From that point on, it's not something I take personally.

"If I don't score, people will ask me why. Besides, I've learned that when you're a footballer, in every match you play, there are millions of coaches. And not all coaches are happy at home.

"Everyone has their own point of view, but I think the goal of football is to score goals, to score one more than the opponent. A player who scores goals will never be a problem for a team, because I've never seen a team win titles without scoring any goals."

Mbappe does, however, believe he now knows how to channel criticism in the right way.

He added: "I think I have a healthy relationship with criticism. Because there's constructive criticism and then there's the kind that's a bit more foolish.

"It's not something that scares me when I have to make a decision. I don't tell myself I'm going to be criticised.

"If I know that, for me, it's the right decision, or that it might not be the right one but it's necessary, I think my past actions have proven it: I go straight ahead."

Next up for Madrid is a home clash in LaLiga against Rayo Vallecano, with Jose Mourinho's team aiming to bounce back from a 1-0 defeat to Real Betis, in which Mbappe missed a penalty.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Real Madrid - Kylian Mbappe

Mbappe has scored 32 goals in 35 home games in LaLiga, a home goal tally only surpassed by Kane (36) across Europe's big five leagues since the France star's first season with Madrid in 2024-25.

Rayo Vallecano - Sergio Camello 

Camello has scored 10 goals in his last 10 LaLiga games, as many as he managed in his previous 97 appearances in the competition.

Furthermore, only Donyell Malen (12) has scored more goals than Camello in Europe's big five leagues since last April (Esteban Lepaul and Lassine Sinayoko also 10).

MATCH PREDICTION: REAL MADRID WIN

Mourinho has won all four of his LaLiga matches against Rayo; only against Athletic Club and Atletico Madrid (six each) has he managed more games with a 100% win rate in the competition.

Rayo have dropped eight points from winning positions in LaLiga in the 2026-27 season, more than any other team in the competition this term.

However, Rayo have scored in each of their last 11 LaLiga games (19 goals in total), their best scoring run in the competition since April 2016 (14 games, 25 goals).

Madrid have won 13 of their last 14 home games against Rayo in LaLiga (D1), failing only in the one in which they did not score (0-0 in November 2023), scoring 46 goals and conceding 12.

Los Blancos have suffered a defeat in their opening four LaLiga games of a season (W3) for the first time since 2014-15 under Carlo Ancelotti (W2 L2).

The last time the Madrid side won the title at the end of the campaign after suffering a defeat in their first four league matches was in 2011-12, under Mourinho (W2 D1 L1).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Real Madrid - 79.6%

Draw - 12.4%

Rayo Vallecano - 8%