The picture is ubiquitous at this point. A young Kylian Mbappe sits on his bed, leaning against a wall, surrounded by pictures of Cristiano Ronaldo. Here’s Ronaldo controlling the ball with his chest, there’s Ronaldo holding up the Golden Boot. And in all of them – every single one – Ronaldo is clad in Real Madrid white.
It was an innocent snap at the time of a kid who loved football. Since then, though, it has become symbolic of something bigger. Ever since he was a child, Mbappe has wanted to play for Madrid. This picture is perfect evidence that the French forward’s summer transfer to the Spanish capital was a divine right – a move that was always going to be made.
But that child’s fantasy, now that it has actually come to life, is far from the perfect story. Mbappe was supposed to be the final piece of this Madrid side, the razor edge that could make Europe’s most dominant team almost unstoppable. The reality has been quite the opposite.
Madrid are confused, their players no longer quite on the same page. The fluidity is missing, the connectivity gone. Mbappe, Paris Saint-Germain’s all-time top goal-scorer and a consensus top-three player in the world, has made this team worse.