Kylian Mbappé sparks controversy by asking for a quick departure from Real Madrid in celebration of Barcelona’s Super Cup title
Barcelona won Supercopa from Espanha for the second consecutive season by defeating Real Madrid 3-2 in the final played this Sunday (11), at Jidá, at The triumph expanded the Catalan club’s historic advantage in the competition, which now has 16 titles against 13 for its rival. The result was accompanied by an episode off the field that caught attention during the medal ceremony.
Images recorded at the stadium show French striker Kylian Mbappé, visibly upset with the defeat, gesturing for his Real Madrid teammates to leave the pitch immediately after receiving their runners-up medals. The gesture occurred before the Barcelona players were honored with the trophy, which prevented the traditional hall of honor that the merengue team could have done.
Minutes before, the Barcelona athletes had formed the corridor of honor for their opponents, showing respect by receiving second place medals. The difference in attitudes between the two teams gained prominence in the sports press and on social media, where Mbappé’s behavior was widely debated.
Kylian Mbappé stopping his teammates from giving Barcelona the champions guard of honor last night. He moved the away.pic.twitter.com/ddDXa3CBLp
—Prince👑 (@Princeutd1P)January 12, 2026
Reactions from the president of Barcelona
Joan Laporta, president of Barcelona, commented on the situation in an interview after the match. Ele expressed surprise at the French striker’s gesture and highlighted the importance of mutual respect in sport.
The leader stated that generosity must prevail in both victory and defeat. Laporta recalled that his team acted with respect for the opponent throughout the ceremony.
Context of Mbappé’s participation in the final
Mbappé only entered the field in the final minutes of the match, after recovering from a knee sprain suffered at the end of 2025. The Frenchman only completed one training session before the decision and was released to play with limitations.
In his short time on the field, the attacker left signs of technical quality. Ele made a precise pass to Arda Güler, who created one of Real Madrid’s clearest chances of the match.
Despite the effort, the time on the field was insufficient to change the score. Mbappé spent just 14 minutes in action and saw the team defeated once again in a final.
Recent history of French in Real Madrid
This was the third final played by Mbappé since his arrival at Real Madrid. In none of them did the club win the title.
The striker started the match on the bench, as occurred in another recent decision. The sequence without trophies in finals increases the pressure on the player’s performance in decisive moments.
Match and ceremony details
Barcelona opened the scoring with Raphinha, who stood out in the match with two goals and was elected MVP of the competition. Vinícius Júnior tied for Real Madrid in the first half.
The expulsion of Frenkie from Jong in stoppage time, after a foul on Mbappé, left Barcelona with one player less, but the Catalan team managed the result until the end. The victory consolidated Barcelona’s recent superiority in decisive classics.
The post-game incident occurred at Alinma Stadium, in Jidá, a place that received Supercopa with a large audience. Images of the ceremony circulated quickly and fueled discussions about fair play in Spanish football.
Additional comments about the episode
Laporta acknowledged that the defeat must have been difficult for the Real Madrid players. Ele considered some frustration understandable, but reinforced that behavior needs to follow standards of respect.
The president of Barcelona avoided harsher criticism and focused on the difference in attitudes observed since the start of the match. Ele highlighted that his team maintained their composure throughout the process.
