Mbappé triumphs in El Clasico and the China controversy shakes LaLiga

Kylian Mbappé experienced a roller coaster in 72 hours: he starred in the Clásico with a brace, attended the Ballon d'Or gala without winning the prize, and saw how his comment about a meme of the Chinese dictator sparked a crisis that shook LaLiga.

Brace that revives the fight

On Sunday, cameras and spotlights focused on the Camp Nou, where the eleven coached by José Mourinho welcomed Kylian Mbappé as the leader. The striker opened the scoring with a rebound goal in the 41st minute and sealed the brace in the 87th minute after a collective play, earning him the match MVP and the three points that revived Real Madrid's fight for the title.

With the win, Real Madrid cut Barcelona's lead, which still stood at three points, and closed to within two points of Atlético de Madrid. Mbappé's brace once again placed the Merengues in the European places zone.

Ballon d'Or: close but without

After the celebration in Madrid, Mbappé donned a Dior tuxedo and flew to London to closely follow the Ballon d'Or gala, where he was hoping for his first individual award. The voting closed without favoring him; Vincent García, director of France Football, explained that he finished second by a razor‑thin margin, even smaller than the gap that separated Rodri and Vinícius in 2024, which was 41 points. The award went to Harry Kane, while Ronaldo Nazario announced the winner.

Real Madrid miss chance while Harry Kane lifts historic Ballon d’Or

Mbappé's media campaign included countless interviews before the voting closed. He recalled his prominence from the previous year, when he topped headlines after Real Madrid's medical controversy over his knee and his outings with Ester Expósito, and he became the all‑time top scorer of the World Cups.

The first international break, from September 21 to October 6, ended prematurely for Mbappé after a hyperextension of his knee forced him to leave the France training camp. Instead of traveling to Valdebebas, the striker stayed in Paris and was spotted in a capital nightclub with Ester Expósito. Ten days later, he shared a video of himself riding a bike on his social media, despite the warning from his coach José Mourinho in a podcast:

“If you fall off the bike, you might miss three games or, even worse, you could break a leg or suffer a bruise that prevents you from performing at the highest level”.

Dictator meme sparks controversy with China

A viral video showed Mbappé laughing at a meme that used his face as that of a Chinese dictator, and the player himself said:

“The one I’ve laughed at the most is the one where they use my face on a Chinese dictator. I use it a lot with my friends”.

The post triggered the loss of several sponsors and a response from the Chinese government; the state broadcaster CCTV announced it would stop airing matches in which the Frenchman played, forcing Javier Tebas, president of LaLiga, to issue a public apology. Later, Mbappé sent a letter in which he wrote:

“My comment was ill‑judged and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and Chinese communities around the world. I apologize to everyone my words may have offended. That was not, at all, my intention. I have a deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I sincerely regret it”.

Javier Tebas tries to mend Mbappé's controversy with China

In the eight months left of the season, Mbappé will remain under the pressure of two years without titles for Real Madrid, while his figure continues to generate headlines both on and off the pitch. The duality of his prominence, between sporting glory and international controversy, defines the most intense 72 hours of his career.