Mbappe admits impatience led to poor form at Real Madrid

When Mbappe joined Real Madrid in August, there were super high expectations surrounding his move. However, his form has been inconsistent, scoring just 11 goals in 21 appearances. He netted on his debut in a 2-0 win over Atalanta in the European Super Cup, followed by six goals the next month. Since then, his form has dipped, with only two goals in the last nine matches. Real Madrid have also suffered defeats to Lille, AC Milan and Liverpool in the Champions League, and Barcelona in La Liga, though Mbappe did score against Getafe and Girona in December.

In addition to his inconsistency, Mbappe has faced criticism for failing to play as a center-forward and performed poorly when he played the left-wing forward position of Vinicius Junior and missed two penalties. These struggles have overshadowed the career of the player who won the 2018 World Cup, became the top scorer at the 2022 World Cup and set a record of 256 goals for Paris Saint-Germain.

Mbappe admitted that his eagerness to succeed at his new club led to unnecessary pressure, affecting his performances.

"I was too eager at the start and that was not good, because I lacked patience," Mbappe told Canal Plus. "But I’m passionate and ready to fight. I will succeed at Real."

Currently, Real Madrid are second in La Liga with 36 points, just two behind Barcelona, with one game in hand. If they win their postponed match against Valencia in early 2025, they will move to the top of the table. In the Champions League, Real are in 24th in the group stage, with six points after five games. They have three matches left to secure a spot in the top 24, which would see them advance to the playoffs for the round of 16.

"We didn't start well, but at Real you have to wait until the second half of the season. That's when you're evaluated," Mbappe added.

Mbappe last played for France in September. He was left out of the squad for the October and November international breaks even after returning from injury. The 26-year-old revealed that he had requested not to be called up in September due to his recent move to Madrid. Coach Didier Deschamps then chose to leave him out for the subsequent months.

"I want to play, but I can't say why Didier didn't call me up," Mbappe said. "My love for the national team hasn't changed. I miss the team because I haven't been involved for a long time."

Despite Mbappe's absence, France have performed well in the past two months. They beat Belgium 2-0, defeated Israel 4-1, drew 0-0 with Israel and triumphed over Italy 3-1, securing a place in the quarterfinals of the Nations League. France will face Croatia in the two legs of the quarterfinals in March 2025.