Florentino Perez angry with Mbappe as Real Madrid tensions grow before El Clasico

Real Madrid do not need another distraction right now. With the La Liga title race almost gone and El Clasico looming on Sunday, a new report has put the spotlight back on Kylian Mbappe for reasons that go well beyond form or fitness. According to Foot Mercato, Florentino Perez is now reportedly unhappy with the French star’s attitude as frustration builds inside the club.

That is what makes this story feel bigger than a routine off-field controversy. Foot Mercato says Mbappe has still produced 41 goals in 41 matches this season, but the report argues that his recent behavior and his place inside the squad hierarchy are now being questioned more seriously than before.

What happened in the Florentino Perez angry with Mbappe story

Foot Mercato’s report says irritation around Mbappe has been growing for months and has now reached the very top of the club. The outlet, citing reporting from Spain, says members of the dressing room and technical staff have become less supportive of the forward, while Perez is said to be frustrated by the player’s attitude during a delicate stage of the season.

The immediate spark was Mbappe’s recent trip to Cagliari while he was still recovering from injury. Foot Mercato reports that the getaway reignited criticism inside Real Madrid, not only because of the timing, but because it added to a broader feeling that the France captain has not fully integrated into the group the way the club expected when it made him the centerpiece of the project.

That detail matters because this is not being framed as a simple one-off incident. Foot Mercato says some of Mbappe’s behavior has not gone down well in the locker room and that the internal battle for influence between him and Vinicius Jr. is currently leaning toward the Brazilian, especially after Vinicius’ strong display in the win over Espanyol.

Why the timing is so bad for Real Madrid

If this report had surfaced in a quiet stretch of the calendar, it would still have been big news. Instead, it has landed just days before the biggest remaining league game on Madrid’s schedule. Reuters reported that Real Madrid’s 2-0 win over Espanyol, driven by a Vinicius brace, kept their title hopes alive only mathematically, with Barcelona still 11 points clear with four matches left.

The official Real Madrid website confirmed weeks ago that the Clasico at Barcelona will be played on Sunday, May 10, at 9:00 pm CEST. That means this entire Mbappe story is unfolding with Madrid heading straight into a match that could define the mood around the squad, the manager, and several of the club’s biggest stars.

Mbappe’s absence against Espanyol already made him part of the conversation. Reuters noted that Madrid were missing several important players in that game, including Mbappe, and still had to rely on Vinicius to produce the decisive moments. In that context, any suggestion of internal dissatisfaction with Mbappe only feels louder.

What Perez reportedly wants next

One of the most telling details in the Foot Mercato report is that Perez is not only said to be upset, but also determined to have Mbappe available for the Clasico. The report says the Madrid president has asked for medical tests to confirm whether the forward can play against Barcelona, which underlines just how much the club still needs him despite the apparent tension.

That contradiction sits at the heart of the whole situation. Real Madrid may be frustrated, according to the reporting, but Madrid also know that matches of this size are exactly why Mbappe was brought in. The club did not recruit him to be a side story in May. It recruited him to decide the games that shape seasons.

And that is why this episode feels so sensitive. Foot Mercato says Perez had backed Mbappe as a central figure in the project, even over other stars such as Vinicius. If the president is now unhappy, the issue is not just a vacation or a bad headline. It is about whether the player the club built around is matching the responsibility that comes with that status.

Why Florentino Perez angry with Mbappe matters for Madrid fans

For supporters, the obvious reaction is to focus on whether this blows over quickly or becomes something more lasting. The bigger question, though, is what it says about the construction of this team. Mbappe’s numbers remain elite, but a great return in front of goal does not automatically settle questions about chemistry, leadership, sacrifice, or balance in the biggest matches.

That is especially true when Vinicius is delivering high-impact performances and the wider squad is trying to navigate injuries and pressure at the same time. Reuters’ account of the Espanyol match showed a team still capable of winning, but one that needed a spark from Vinicius to keep Barcelona waiting a little longer. When that happens, every discussion about hierarchy inside the dressing room becomes more intense.

If Foot Mercato’s reporting is accurate, Real Madrid are now dealing with a familiar problem for superclubs: how to manage a global superstar whose production is undeniable, while still demanding the same sense of collective commitment that defines the dressing room at its best. That balance is not impossible to restore, but it gets much harder when the next game is a Clasico away from home.

What happens next

The simplest way for Mbappe to quiet this story would be on the pitch. If he is cleared, available, and decisive against Barcelona, the conversation changes immediately. That would not erase every question raised by the reporting, but it would shift the focus back toward football, which is exactly where Real Madrid need it ahead of the final stretch.

If he is not ready, the noise only grows. Madrid would head into their biggest remaining league match without one of their most important players, while fresh reports continue to cast doubt on his standing behind the scenes. At a club where image, hierarchy, and performance are always connected, that is never a minor issue.

Madrid fans will also be watching the wider ripple effects from here, especially the questions around Vinicius’ rising importance, the balance of the front line, and how this group responds when pressure is highest. Those are the deeper themes that could shape the rest of the season.

For now, the headline is impossible to ignore: Florentino Perez angry with Mbappe has become one of the biggest Real Madrid stories of the week, and the timing could hardly be worse. Sunday’s Clasico may not answer every long-term question, but it could change the mood around Mbappe in a hurry.

Sources Used:

• Foot Mercato (https://www.footmercato.net/a799269835152228828-real-madrid-la-colere-noire-de-florentino-perez-contre-kylian-mbappe)
• Real Madrid (https://www.realmadrid.com/en-US/news/football/first-team/latest-news/el-barcelona-real-madrid-se-jugara-el-domingo-10-de-mayo-a-las-21-00-h-22-03-2026)
• Reuters (https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/vinicius-double-keeps-reals-faint-laliga-hopes-alive-2026-05-03/)