For as far back as I could remember, Real Madrid were the undisputed kings of the Champions League (queue Tony Bennett’s “Rags to Riches”, and a voiceover ripped straight from a Martin Scorsese script). Except, instead chronicling the rise and fall of Henry Hill’s life in the criminal underworld of New York city, the film would follow Real Madrid’s feeble attempt to overcome an insurmountable 1st leg deficit. However, the real challenge isn’t the comeback—it’s finding a lead. For the first time in years, Real Madrid has no main character, and that’s where it begins to unravel for this club.
For the last 15 years, Real Madrid has always had a lead character—a main man, the go-to-guy—who would rise to the occasion and be a match winner. We all know who that was, as Cristiano Ronaldo pulled this team out of the depths of hell on more than one occasion for the better part of a decade. Then the great Karim Benzema took up the mantle, prolifically answering Los Blancos’ call. Finally, when he decided to spend the twilight of his career in exuberant wealth in Saudi Arabia, Vinicius Jr. became the lead vocalist of the Real Madrid choir, guiding them to yet another title last year. So what went wrong? What impactful player did this team lose that made the difference on a Champions League night?
Kylian Mbappé’s debut season at Real Madrid has been nothing short of turbulent. After a slow start, he rediscovered his PSG form, finding the net at his usual pace. For a significant part of the season, the front four of Vinicius Jr., Mbappé, Rodrygo, and Bellingham looked unstoppable. The football world had embraced the second iteration of the famous “Galacticos,” and all of Europe anticipated yet another Champions League trophy gracing the Bernabeu’s display cabinet.
However, Florentino Perez’s dream of a Kylian Mbappé-led Real Madrid was a miscalculated fantasy. This team already had a perfect composition—every piece of the puzzle fit perfectly, and the Los Blancos machine functioned flawlessly. Most importantly, they had their star in Vinicius. Perez’s hopes of creating a super team inadvertently made Real Madrid susceptible both mentally and tactically, and their two-legged tie against Arsenal exposed the vulnerabilities that come from having too many stars.
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However, while Perez’s Galacticos 2.0 may not be in full form currently, there is a high probability that this team will win, and his decision was not ill-advised. Real Madrid won four Champions League titles with Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, and Karim Benzema leading the frontline. Their blistering pace, lethal finishing, and dynamic chemistry reigned terror on the defences of Europe’s elite sides. But of all the traits this front-three possess, their mentality was the key to the team’s success. Ronaldo was the catalyst—and his counterparts knew that. When the going got tough, they looked to him, and he always delivered—and while this team has a similar sense of star power, no one is eager to take the lead.
Mbappé and Bellingham have proven that they can win matches single handedly with both club and country, but no one has done more for Real Madrid in recent memory than Vinicius. However, his form since Mbappé’s arrival has been abysmal by his standards, having only eight goal contributions since the turn of the year. Not only does the Brazilian superstar look lost for large portions of matches, he looks unmotivated—unwilling to take the match by the scruff of the neck and push the team forward. Moreover, Vinicus looks incapable of showing strength or having the mental fortitude to take his team back. Flippantly inserting Mbappé into this team has clearly made Vincius upset, and he has only himself to blame.
Kylian Mbappé isn’t the pinnacle of leadership either. He may be the main goal threat for Los Blancos, but he lacks the decisiveness he had at PSG—it’s as if he is consistently catering to the whining needs of Vinicius. There are brief glimpses of Mbappé wanting to take control, wanting to be like his idol Cristiano Ronaldo, but they are scarce. Then there is Jude Bellingham, who last season was the perfect partner to Vinicus. He would score goals, antagonize the opponent, and carry the arrogant attitude of a winner. This season, when Bellingham isn’t yelling aimlessly at his teammates or the referee, he’s having a shockingly limited impact on the match.
This isn’t a skill issue, it doesn’t fall on the shoulders of Carlo Ancelotti, and it’s no fault of Florentino Perez for wanting a star-studded squad—the blame belongs to their star players. For a hundred years, it meant something to wear the Real Madrid jersey. It signified class, strength, resilience, and inevitability. The all white jersey became a part of a player’s anatomy, and it meant leaving your ego aside for the betterment of the collective. When Real Madrid called, you had to answer. Unfortunately for this storied club, they find themselves in an era where their stars are not only unable to step up, but seemingly unwilling to forfeit personal triumph for the greater good.
The good news is, this team can and likely will bounce back. Mentality problems can be resolved with the emergence of strong leadership within the squad, and Real Madrid’s squad consists of multiple characters who are fit for the role. However, the question remains: who will step up and lead this team to glory?
