Kylian Mbappé criticism at Real Madrid grows ahead of Oviedo return

The Kylian Mbappé criticism at Real Madrid story has become bigger than a routine pre-match talking point. Foot Mercato reports that the French star could return against Oviedo after missing the last Clásico, but the more revealing angle is the mood around him: L’Équipe says he is struggling to understand the wave of criticism that has built around him in recent weeks and could receive another hostile reception at the Bernabéu.

That is what makes this one feel important for Real Madrid fans. Mbappé is back in the official squad for Oviedo, and Álvaro Arbeloa said on Wednesday that if the forward completed training and was available, he would “surely get minutes.” In other words, this is no longer only about whether he is fit enough to play. It is about how he responds, how the crowd reacts, and whether Madrid can reset the conversation around their biggest star before the season ends.

Why Kylian Mbappé criticism at Real Madrid has grown

The criticism has not come from one single flashpoint. L’Équipe says the pressure has built through a series of moments that supporters and local media did not like: a trip to Sardinia while injured, arriving shortly before kickoff for the Espanyol match, smiling after the Valverde-Tchouaméni altercation, his late absence from the Clásico, and even a “Hala Madrid” post while the team was losing to Barcelona. The broader complaint, according to Marca reporter Pablo Polo in L’Équipe’s piece, is that Mbappé has recently projected an image that feels too individualistic during a bad collective spell.

That context matters because Real Madrid are not judged like most clubs. L’Équipe’s reporting includes the familiar Madrid line that when the team is not winning, the biggest star becomes the main target. Former club president Ramón Calderón said there is not a single great player at Madrid who has not been whistled and criticized, while journalist José Luis Sánchez described it as the price stars pay at the club. This is less about one bad week and more about the Bernabéu’s old rule: status brings scrutiny, and scrutiny gets louder when titles disappear.

There is also official club context that supports that reading. After the Alavés match in April, Arbeloa said whistles are part of the Bernabéu’s constant demand and that players can turn those whistles into applause through their response on the pitch. He framed it not as a one-off scandal, but as something tied to the standards of playing for Real Madrid.

The official Real Madrid message has been more protective

What is interesting is that Real Madrid’s public line has not matched the harsher media tone. Before the Clásico, Arbeloa defended Mbappé by reminding everyone how much the forward gave up to join the club and how clearly he had dreamed of playing for Madrid since childhood. It was a pointed response, because it shifted the focus back to commitment rather than noise.

Arbeloa doubled down ahead of Oviedo. He said Real Madrid are stronger when the fans, the team, and the club are united, and he made it clear he wants these final games to show that the squad deserves to wear the badge. He also said Mbappé would likely get minutes if he came through training well, and the official squad list confirmed the Frenchman’s inclusion. That gives this story a more practical edge: Madrid are not hiding the player or shielding him from the moment. They are putting him back into it.

That distinction matters. Reports about Mbappé feeling targeted may be real, but the club’s official stance is still to back him publicly and keep him central to the group. For all the outside noise, Madrid’s message is closer to this: the player remains important, the season still has three games left, and the response has to happen on the field.

The simplest answer for Mbappé is still football

The reason this story remains complicated is that the numbers do not support a total collapse narrative. L’Équipe says Mbappé has scored 41 goals in 41 matches in all competitions this season, while LaLiga’s official match page for Oviedo lists him as Real Madrid’s league leader in both goals, with 24, and shots, with 61. Those are elite numbers by any standard.

But Real Madrid has never been a club where raw output settles every debate. At Madrid, the star is expected to deliver goals, titles, image, and timing all at once. That is why Mbappé can still be one of the team’s most productive players and yet remain under pressure. The criticism is not really about whether he is talented enough. It is about whether supporters believe he is carrying the badge the way a Madrid superstar should during a difficult stretch. That is an inference drawn from L’Équipe’s reporting on the criticism and Arbeloa’s repeated emphasis on effort, unity, and what the crest represents.

What this means for Real Madrid

For Madrid, this is about more than one player’s reputation. It is about whether the club can close a disappointing league campaign with some control over the story. Arbeloa described Oviedo as the second-to-last home game of a league that slipped away, and LaLiga’s official page shows Madrid entering the match in second place on 77 points, with Oviedo 20th on 29. In a game with limited title meaning, the emotional temperature around Mbappé could still become the main event.

That is also why this story opens the door to bigger conversations readers will keep following over the next few days: whether Mbappé starts or comes off the bench, whether the Bernabéu gives him patience or pressure, how Arbeloa manages the final games, and what all of it says about the club’s mood heading into the summer. This is an inference from the official squad call, Arbeloa’s comments on unity, and the wider reporting around the player’s recent criticism.

In the end, the cleanest way out for everyone is the most obvious one. The Kylian Mbappé criticism at Real Madrid story will cool down fastest if he plays well, scores, and helps shift the Bernabéu back toward applause. Until then, the pressure is real, the return against Oviedo matters, and every touch is likely to be read as part of a much bigger argument about Madrid’s biggest name.

Sources Used:

• Foot Mercato — https://www.footmercato.net/a1815541027848650131-real-madrid-kylian-mbappe-est-perdu
• L’Équipe — https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Article/Kylian-mbappe-scrute-et-critique-au-real-madrid-c-est-la-normalite-ici-pour-les-stars-et-le-prix-a-payer/1675544
• Real Madrid — https://www.realmadrid.com/en-US/news/football/first-team/squad-call/convocatoria-del-real-madrid-frente-al-oviedo-14-05-2026
• Real Madrid — https://www.realmadrid.com/en-US/news/football/first-team/press-conference/arbeloa-13-05-2026
• Real Madrid — https://www.realmadrid.com/en-US/news/football/first-team/press-conference/rueda-de-prensa-arbeloa-09-05-2026
• Real Madrid — https://www.realmadrid.com/en-US/news/football/first-team/press-conference/arbeloa-21-04-2026
• LaLiga — https://www.laliga.com/en-GB/match/temporada-2025-2026-laliga-ea-sports-real-madrid-real-oviedo-36