Kylian Mbappé is facing immense pressure as the focal point of Real Madrid’s attack, a role once occupied by club legend Cristiano Ronaldo.
Despite a highly productive start to life in Spain, the French forward has faced criticism for being arrogant and claims that his presence disrupts the team’s balance—a debate reminiscent of the one that once surrounded Ronaldo.
Former Real Madrid midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has come to Mbappé’s defense, arguing that the criticism directed at him is unfair.
According to Van der Vaart, labeling Mbappé as “arrogant” is unjustified, and many of the narratives surrounding him have been distorted by comparisons with Paris Saint-Germain’s success following his departure.
Van der Vaart emphasized that Mbappé was the “only global superstar” at PSG, which created a situation where other players often deferred to him, making him the target of criticism whenever the team failed to achieve success at the highest level.
He also drew a direct comparison with Cristiano Ronaldo’s era at Real Madrid, recalling that the pressure was equally intense back then and that criticism often fell on a single player whenever results did not go the club’s way.
According to Van der Vaart, the presence of a “mega-star” changes the way an entire team plays: teammates tend to pass the ball to that player more frequently, which can affect the collective flow of the game, but at the same time brings a huge advantage in terms of goals.
Despite the criticism, Mbappé remains one of Real Madrid’s most consistent goalscorers, although Madrid fans continue to demand more from his overall influence on the team’s performances.
Van der Vaart concluded by saying that the problem is not the Frenchman himself, but rather the expectations placed upon him and the team’s lack of balance. He stressed that it is unfair to claim that Mbappé “isn’t good enough,” insisting that he has been one of the team’s best players.
