Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe has been branded 'classless' after footage emerged showing him discouraging his teammates from performing a traditional guard of honour for rivals Barcelona.
The Controversial Moment
The incident occurred immediately after Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 3-2 in the Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, 12th January 2026. Having just received the respectful gesture from Barcelona's players, a visibly frustrated Mbappe, 27, was seen on camera waving his Madrid colleagues away as they prepared to form the two lines of honour in return.
The French forward, who came on as a 76th-minute substitute, had just collected his runners-up medal. His apparent intervention convinced his teammates to ignore the Catalan champions, who proceeded to lift the trophy for a third consecutive season at Madrid's expense.
Backlash from Fans and Barcelona President
Once the video circulated online, a storm of criticism followed. Fans on social media platform X were quick to condemn the World Cup winner's actions.
"Disgraceful behaviour," wrote one user, while another simply labelled it "Classless." A Barcelona supporter commented, "Sore loser. Thank god my club doesn't have such pathetic unprofessional players."
The criticism was not limited to fans. Barcelona president Joan Laporta also expressed his disappointment. "I'm surprised by what he did," Laporta told RAC-1. "In victory and defeat, you have to be generous and respectful. This is sport, and you have to behave normally. I think that in our victory, we were generous and respectful of the opposing team. That's why I can't understand it."
Match Context and Mbappe's Fitness
The final itself saw Barcelona secure victory with two goals from Raphinha and one from Robert Lewandowski. This win marks Barcelona's third consecutive cup final victory over Real Madrid, following last season's 5-2 Super Cup thrashing and the 2025 Copa del Rey final.
Mbappe's late introduction was due to a recent knee injury. Manager Xabi Alonso explained the decision, stating the intensity of the match meant the forward "wasn't ready to start." Alonso revealed Mbappe was supposed to enter the game just before Barcelona scored their decisive third goal, a deflected effort from Raphinha.
"We wanted him to create imbalance, a threat, to link up with him between the lines and in space," Alonso said post-match. "He gave us that a little later. It's a shame we were already behind on the scoreboard."
With this defeat, Real Madrid now trail Barcelona by four points in the La Liga title race. The next El Clasico is scheduled for May at Camp Nou, offering Mbappe and his teammates a chance for swift revenge. Both clubs also remain in contention for the Copa del Rey and the Champions League, where they haven't met for 15 years.
