Kylian Mbappé’s unsporting gesture that frustrated Barcelona
Kylian Mbappé’s post-match gesture after Real Madrid’s 3-2 loss to Barcelona in the 2025 Supercopa de España has been widely criticized as a breach of fair play
Kylian Mbappé’s post-match gesture after Real Madrid’s 3-2 loss to Barcelona in the 2025 Supercopa de España has been widely criticised as a breach of fair play. Raphinha netted a brace, with Robert Lewandowski scoring one of his own, leading Barça to their 16th Super Cup trophy on Sunday.
After Real Madrid’s players received their medals during the closing ceremony, cameras spotted Mbappé reportedly urging his teammates against offering Barcelona the customary guard of honour. Barça president Joan Laporta was asked to comment on the aforementioned incident, claiming that frustration over the result could be the reason behind such behaviour.
“I’m surprised by what Mbappé did,” Laporta told Rac-1. “In victory and defeat, you have to be selfless and respectful. This is sport and you have to behave normally. I think that we were selfless in victory and respected the opposing team. That’s why I can’t understand it.
“There was a difference from the league game and the players were a bit annoyed. It’s understandable. To be honest, I didn’t see that moment with Mbappé on the field, but I understand that it must have been a very difficult moment. They must have been very upset and that’s why they reacted that way.”
It should be noted that Barcelona players had previously given a guard of honour to both the game referees, as well as their Real Madrid counterparts.
Leading the Pichichi race
Having just recovered from injury, Mbappé travelled to Saudi Arabia after Real Madrid’s 2-1 victory over cross-city rivals Atlético de Madrid in the Supercopa de España semi-final back on Thursday.
The France international hadn’t featured since Los Blancos’ game against Sevilla on December 20, when he netted from the spot, inspiring his team to a 2-0 victory on home soil. Mbappé came off the bench with 14 minutes to go in the final, but, despite his efforts, he didn’t manage to help them find an equaliser in the closing stages.
After winning the Pichichi prize by scoring 31 goals in his first season on Spanish soil, the 27-year-old has hit the ground again this term, currently topping the scoring rankings with 18 goals in as many league games.
An in-form Mbappé has scored 11 times in Real Madrid’s last nine games across all competitions, having netted at least two goals in as many as eight games so far this season.
