The burden of being a global superstar at Real Madrid is immense, and it seems Kylian Mbappé is now feeling the full weight of that colossal expectation. The French forward, a new Galáctico, finds himself under an intense microscope, drawing comparisons to the early scrutiny faced by none other than Cristiano Ronaldo during his iconic tenure in the Spanish capital.
Mbappé's Early Bernabéu Challenge
Critics have been quick to pounce on Mbappé, with some even suggesting his departure improved Paris Saint-Germain. However, former Real Madrid midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has passionately jumped to his defense, dismissing claims of arrogance as completely wide of the mark. He believes the narrative surrounding Mbappé is deeply unfair.
- Kylian Mbappé is unfairly labeled 'arrogant' despite his consistent goal-scoring prowess for Real Madrid.
- Rafael van der Vaart argues Mbappé is experiencing the same intense pressure and scrutiny as Cristiano Ronaldo did at the Bernabéu.
- The presence of a lone 'mega-star' can cause other talented teammates to inadvertently 'hide' or pass off responsibility.
- Van der Vaart predicts Mbappé will lead France to World Cup glory and secure individual awards like the Golden Ball.
The Ronaldo Parallel: History Repeating at Real Madrid?
Van der Vaart, who played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid, sees striking similarities in the situations. He points out that having one transcendent talent often alters team dynamics, sometimes forcing teammates to defer too much. This, he argues, can unjustly heap all the blame onto the star when results falter.
"When people are talking about Mbappé being arrogant, it makes me a little bit upset," Van der Vaart told Aceodds. "Everybody is saying, yeah, you can see that he [Mbappé] was the problem [at PSG], and don’t get me wrong… PSG has many good players, but not a single absolute world star. He was the world's star at the club. What happens when you play with a player like him in your team is that the other good players hide a little bit."
Undue Scrutiny and the Goal Machine
Even with his undeniable talent and consistent goal-scoring record for Los Blancos, Mbappé has yet to fully satisfy the notoriously demanding Real Madrid faithful. Van der Vaart emphasized that focusing solely on Mbappé's individual impact misses the bigger picture, suggesting the rest of the squad might have benefited from him shouldering the bulk of the pressure.
"When Ronaldo played there and when he didn't win, he also always got the blame," Van der Vaart reflected. "It is difficult to have a big star in your team, but you have to manage that, because at the end of the day Ronaldo scored 60 goals per season, and Mbappé is doing the same." He highlighted that Mbappé was, by far, Real Madrid's best player last season, constantly scoring despite others' inconsistent form.
France's Golden Boy: World Cup Glory Beckons
Looking ahead, Van der Vaart has immense faith in Mbappé's ability to silence his critics on the international stage. He confidently backs France to win the next World Cup and believes Mbappé will be a pivotal figure, earning individual honors.
"I am going (with) France to win the World Cup," Van der Vaart declared. "I really hope that Mbappé is going to be the best player of the tournament because of all this criticism... I'm 100% sure he will be top." While tipping Mbappé for the Golden Ball, he also acknowledged Harry Kane's incredible goal-scoring consistency as a strong contender for the Golden Boot.
