Mbappe rediscovered his best form for the French national team after a difficult ending at Real Madrid.
Kylian Mbappe enters the 2026 World Cup facing considerable skepticism. He endured a strange season at Real Madrid , where goals couldn't mask injuries, controversies, and boos from the Bernabeu stands.
But just a few weeks later, everything changed. Mbappe led the World Cup scoring charts with 8 goals, level with Lionel Messi . The French striker also had 3 assists and had the opportunity to lead his team to another final.
This is the Mbappe that Real Madrid has been waiting for.
From the jeers at Bernabeu
Mbappe's season could be divided into two contrasting halves. In 2025, the French striker scored 29 goals in 24 matches, averaging one goal every 72 minutes. He finished the year with 59 goals, equaling Cristiano Ronaldo's record from his time at Real Madrid.
Those numbers led people to believe Mbappe was ready to become a true Galactico. However, 2026 presents a different story. Mbappe still scored 13 goals in 20 matches, a dream number for most strikers, but a goal every 116 minutes is not impressive enough when compared to the standards he has already set.
The problem isn't just about form. A series of injuries have kept Mbappe out of many important matches.
First, there was the problem with his left knee. The French striker even had to return to Paris to consult with specialist Bertrand Sonnery-Cottet, although the subsequent tests were no different from the diagnosis from the Real Madrid medical team. Next came a semitendinosus injury that kept him out of action for 17 days. Mbappe missed several Champions League matches, the season-ending El Clasico, and the clash against Espanyol.
His repeated absences have raised suspicions that Mbappe is calculating his fitness for the World Cup. He has repeatedly denied this, asserting that the best way to prepare for the French national team is to play regularly for Real Madrid.
With 8 goals, Mbappé is currently tied with Messi at the top of the scoring charts for the 2026 World Cup.
However, the gap between Mbappe and the fans is widening. Images of the French striker returning to Barajas airport just 12 minutes before the match against Espanyol, after a vacation in Italy while recovering from injury, displeased the fans.
Mbappe ended the season to boos in his final two matches at the Bernabeu. A player expected to become a new icon of Real Madrid left the pitch with more disappointment than applause. That was clearly not the ending President Florentino Perez was hoping for.
Another Mbappe at the World Cup
Paradoxically, injuries and the end-of-season break helped Mbappe enter the World Cup in better physical condition. He no longer carried the burden of accumulated physical fitness after a long season.
The French team is benefiting from this. Mbappe has rediscovered his speed, explosiveness, and game-deciding ability. His spectacular goal against Morocco in the quarter-finals is a prime example of this returning version of himself.
After 6 matches, Mbappe has 8 goals and 3 assists. He and Messi lead the scoring charts, but he surpasses the Argentinian star in the number of assists. The race between the two even extends beyond the 2026 World Cup. Messi holds the record for 21 goals in World Cups, while Mbappe has already scored 20 goals despite playing only 20 matches.
Even more remarkably, the French striker boasts a goal-per-90-minute average of 1.11 goals, the best in World Cup history among players with more than 10 appearances. These numbers suggest Mbappe is nearing a special place in the tournament's history.
At 27 years old, Mbappe has already won the World Cup, played in two finals, and is on the verge of reaching a third consecutive final. If he maintains his current pace, surpassing Messi on the list of the greatest World Cup goalscorers is probably only a matter of time.
Mbappe has the opportunity to lead the French national team to their third consecutive World Cup final.
The biggest difference between Mbappe at Real Madrid and with the French national team lies in the feeling he creates. At the Bernabeu, goals alone are not enough. Real Madrid values stars by titles, big games, and the ability to lead the team to victory. Mbappe hasn't achieved that yet.
But with the French national team, he's a different person. Mbappe plays with the confidence of a player who understands his place in the team.
The World Cup seems to always bring out the best in Mbappe. From the 19-year-old in Russia in 2018 to the leader of the French national team at 27, the biggest stage in the world has never intimidated him.
The season at Real Madrid may end with boos. But the 2026 World Cup is opening up a completely different story.
Florentino Perez brought Mbappe to Bernabeu hoping to acquire the best player in the world. That version hasn't really appeared regularly at Madrid, but at the World Cup, people are seeing it.