Kylian Mbappé will not travel to Barcelona. Real Madrid confirmed this morning that the French forward is omitted from the squad for Sunday’s Clásico (9:00 PM) after failing to recover in time from a hamstring issue in his left leg. This is not his first absence: he also missed last week’s match against Espanyol.
His unavailability comes amid a cloud of controversy that has turned the player’s week into an unprecedented sports saga. The incident that opened Pandora’s box was his trip to Sardinia. While the team prepared for a decisive match in the title race against Barcelona, Mbappé used his days off to fly to Italy with his partner, Spanish actress Ester Expósito. The club had given him permission, and Arbeloa publicly defended him: “Every player in his free time does what he considers appropriate, and I cannot interfere there.”
However, some of Arbeloa’s other remarks were interpreted as a veiled criticism: “We didn’t build what Real Madrid is with players who step onto the pitch dressed in tuxedos, but with players who finish with their shirts soaked in sweat, mud, and effort.”
Adding to the drama was Thursday’s incident at Valdebebas. A brutal fight between Fede Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni—which left the Uruguayan hospitalized with a traumatic brain injury and both players fined €500,000—shook the Madrid dressing room. In this context, footage of Mbappé leaving training smiling from his car sparked an outsized reaction on social media. Arbeloa insisted on defending him: “If someone wants to take out of context a player leaving training laughing, they are trying to seize an opportunity to distort things.”
On Friday, amid cautious optimism at the club regarding his physical progress, Mbappé completed the training session. Everything suggested he would be available for the Clásico. But on Saturday, he suffered a setback: he felt discomfort in his hamstrings and had to stop the session, sealing his definitive absence.
This Sunday, rumors circulate on social media, especially on X (Twitter), with users claiming to have seen Mbappé early in the morning at Madrid nightlife spots on Saturday night, the eve of the Clásico. The account ‘Betintime’ posted two videos of Mbappé after midnight at a restaurant, and another user recorded his car driving through Madrid streets at 4 a.m.
The outcome of this entire saga is that Real Madrid arrives at the Camp Nou Clásico with Mbappé on the sidelines at home, Valverde in the hospital, and seven total absences. A draw is enough for Barcelona to win the La Liga title for the second consecutive year. For Madrid, the only option is to win. They will have to do so without their top scorer of the season: 41 goals in 41 matches.
Arbeloa, who has come out to shield his player in every controversy of the week, will have to find a way without him tonight. Meanwhile, Mbappé will have to provide explanations—at least sporting ones—in the coming days. The Clásico kicks off at 9:00 PM.
