I didn’t come to Real Madrid to play badly: Kylian Mbappe

I didn’t come to Real Madrid to play badly: Kylian Mbappe

During his first few months at Real Madrid, following his dream move from Paris Saint-Germain last summer, Kylian Mbappe delivered inconsistent performances. But recent weeks has seen him return to the devastating form that he is well known for.

“You always have to be calm and focus on your game and on what you can improve,” the 26-year-old told a news conference ahead of Madrid’s Champions League clash with RB Salzburg on Wednesday.

“I knew that I could change the situation, and it has.”

After missing penalties against Liverpool and Athletic Bilbao towards the end of 2024, Mbappe admitted at the time that he had “hit the bottom”.

The flamboyant striker seems to have overcome his shaky start, scoring eight goals in his last 10 games across all competitions.

“It was more of a mental thing. I knew I was good physically, good with the team and the group. But I had to do more. I didn’t come to Madrid to play badly,” he added.

During his spell of poor form, when he also struggled with a thigh problem, Mbappe was also left out of the national team several times, including for the Nations League games in the latter half of last year. He is now looking forward to returning to action for his country.

“There’s no issue with the national team. I can understand the criticism (in France),” said the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner. “I’m excited to return in March and try to reach the Nations League semi-finals. My love for the national team remains.”