Mbappé admission rocks Real Madrid: «Not winning the Ballon d’Or hurt»

Ibrahima Konaté spoke about what Kylian Mbappé has been going through personally after finishing second in the Ballon d’Or voting and becoming embroiled in a controversy in China. The defender said the forward has already put those episodes behind him and refocused on football.

Kylian Mbappé has faced intense media scrutiny in recent weeks, although those around him in football insist there is no cause for concern. As he returned to the French national team, Ibrahima Konaté publicly backed the Real Madrid forward and explained how he reacted after missing out on the Ballon d’Or, which ultimately went to England’s Harry Kane.

“He’s a competitor. Of course, not winning the Ballon d’Or when he thought he had a chance is tough. But the next day, he was already fully focused on training,” explained the defender, who also plays alongside Mbappé for France. Konaté also stressed that the forward is in good form and remains a key player for Real Madrid.

The second episode to mark the Frenchman’s recent weeks was the controversy that erupted in China following comments about a meme featuring his image alongside Mao Zedong. Mbappé eventually apologized, but the situation had commercial repercussions, with brands deciding to end their deals with the footballer and Chinese state television dropping LaLiga matches from its schedule.

Now, the forward is looking to put that situation behind him and focus on his sporting goals. His return to the French national team offers a fresh opportunity to regain a leading role under Zinedine Zidane, while Real Madrid hopes to have him back after the international break. Konaté, for his part, made it clear that he sees his teammate maintaining a positive attitude and fully focused on continuing to compete at the highest level.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.