Why Kylian Mbappe Isn’t Playing for Real Madrid vs. Barcelona

The latest iteration of El Clásico won’t be shy of talent, but the clash between Barcelona and Real Madrid will be bereft of its two biggest stars.

Madrid’s indifferent 2025–26 campaign will end without silverware, and Barça have the chance to clinch the La Liga title in the face of their competitive nemesis on Sunday night.

Barça’s lengthy winning run since succumbing to Catalonian friends Girona in February has cut a woefully inconsistent Madrid adrift, with Hansi Flick’s side, prepared to go back-to-back, 11 points clear at the summit.

This is set to be a night Madrid will want to escape and quickly forget, with their leading goalscorer, Kylian Mbappé, among those unavailable. The Frenchman has developed into an unpopular figure in the capital despite his fine goalscoring form since joining the club, with almost 70 million signing an online petition to get Mbappé out of Madrid as a result of recent off-field antics.

Here’s why the French superstar won’t be playing in Sunday night’s Clásico.

Why Kylian Mbappé Isn't Playing In El Clásico

Mbappé is unavailable for Madrid’s second trip to Catalonia in as many weeks because of the hamstring injury he sustained against Real Betis at the end of April.

While the French forward was pictured in training ahead of the Clásico (having returned from what could emerge as an infamous trip to Sardinia), he was ultimately left out of Álvaro Arbeloa’s squad.

The Madrid boss opted to utilize Vinicius Junior as their leading man against Espanyol, and the Brazilian scored both goals in a 2–0 win. However, the absence of Federico Valverde following a training-ground bust-up with Aurélien Tchouaméni will likely force Arbeloa to rethink of his entire setup.

The environment at the club has drifted into an ugly and toxic one, with Mbappé’s Madrid career ultimately failing to deliver upon immense promise so far. Multiple managers have struggled to find the right balance with the French superstar in the team. Still, despite his current unpopularity, Mbappé’s relationship with Los Blancos is likely to be long-standing.

Soon, it’ll probably be José Mourinho’s job to establish a cohesive collective that fails to compromise Madrid’s standout individualism.

Will Kylian Mbappé Play Again Before the World Cup?

Mbappé’s excursions mid-recovery have angered a resentful fanbase, and there‘s a sense among Madridistas that the 27-year-old has downed tools down the stretch, with Madrid playing for very little, to ensure he’s fully fit for this summer’s World Cup.

Mbappé has a remarkable record on the grandest stage and has the chance to usurp Miroslav Klose as the tournament’s all-time leading scorer in North America.

While Arbeloa said last week that it “might take a bit longer” than expected, Mbappé should be fit enough to play for Madrid before the end of the season. They have three more La Liga outings after the Clásico, but the start of the World Cup is looming. France gets its campaign underway against Senegal on June 16.

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