How Real Madrid’s ‘Catastrophic’ Kylian Mbappe Blunder Unfolded

Mbappé has broken his silence on a situation which reportedly left him furious.

Kylian Mbappé was reportedly engulfed by “monumental anger” after Real Madrid’s staggering misdiagnosis. | MB Media/Getty Images

Multiple reports have alleged that Real Madrid’s medical department erroneously gave star striker Kylian Mbappé a clean bill of health after mistakenly scanning the wrong knee back in December. This “catastrophic” error is said to have left Mbappé furious and has prompted several damning consequences in the Spanish capital.

Mbappé was sent for tests after complaining of discomfort in his knee after a match with Celta Vigo all the way back on Dec. 7, 2025. The Frenchman sat out Real Madrid’s subsequent Champions League clash with Manchester City but was back in action for the club’s next three matches to close out 2025. It has now been claimed that Mbappé was unknowingly injured during those 270 minutes of action, which could have had devastating repercussions.

Daniel Riolo of RMC Sport was the first to make the staggering claim that Madrid’s medical department examined Mbappé’s right knee when the problem was with his left leg. The Athletic supported this astonishing sequence of events.

“For Real Madrid, what happened is a complete disgrace,” Riolo declared during an appearance on After Foot, “and I think we avoided the worst for Mbappé. This diagnostic error could have been much more serious, because it took Mbappé a while to find out what was wrong. He had other commitments, he even played a few matches without knowing exactly what was wrong. He could have wrecked his knee.”

Riolo’s claim that this misdiagnosis led to the sacking of several members of Madrid’s medical department has been refuted by some Spanish media. Yet, it’s clear that this is a blunder that raises serious questions.

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Timeline of Mbappé’s Medical Misadventures

Kylian Mbappé is Real Madrid’s rampant top scorer this season. | Diego Souto/Getty Images

• Dec. 7, 2025: Mbappé injures his left knee against Celta Vigo.

The durable forward still played the full 90 minutes of a 2–0 defeat, setting the tone for a pattern of pushing through the pain barrier.

• Dec. 7–10, 2025: Scan of wrong knee.

Marca theorize that the pointless scan took place on the same day as the Celta game. Surprisingly enough, no problem was spotted.

• Dec. 10, 2025: Mbappé sits out Real Madrid’s Champions League clash with Manchester City

Despite the clean bill of health, Mbappé was only deemed fit enough to figure as an unused substitute in Madrid’s 2–1 reverse at the hands of Manchester City in the league phase of the Champions League.

• Dec. 14–20, 2025: Mbappé plays the full 90 minutes of three consecutive games with a damaged knee.

This is the most shocking aspect of the news. For three successive matches, Mbappé went onto the pitch with the false knowledge that there was no serious issue with his knee. Despite the hidden handicap, the 27-year-old still conspired to score four times, equaling Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of 59 goals in a calendar year for Real Madrid.

Date / Opponent	Mbappe Minutes	Mbappe Goals
Dec. 14 / Alavés	90	1
Dec. 18 / Talavera	90	2
Dec. 20 / Sevilla	90	1

• Dec. 31, 2025: Mbappé diagnosed with sprained knee.

Mbappé returned to Madrid training on Dec. 30 one day before the club publicly diagnosed him with a sprained knee. It was later determined that the prolific forward had suffered a partial posterior knee ligament tear and would be undergoing “conservative” treatment.

• Jan. 11, 2026: Rushed back for Spanish Super Cup final.

A knee injury has been a major problem for Kylian Mbappé. | Ryan Crockett/DeFodi Images/Getty Images

After reluctantly sitting out of a league clash with Real Betis and the Spanish Super Cup semifinal with Atlético Madrid, Mbappé flew out to Saudi Arabia to come off the bench in the final against Barcelona. His brief cameo could not steer Madrid clear of defeat or save Xabi Alonso from the sack, which arrived the following day.

• February 2026: “Angry” Mbappé seeks independent medical opinion.

To the surprise of many, Mbappé continued playing for Real Madrid, starting seven of eight matches as January bled into February before eventually the pain proved too much. His inability to play the second leg of the Champions League knockout tie against Benfica at the end of February has been described as the “last straw” before he flew to France to seek an independent medical opinion.

“I received the diagnosis on a specific date that I can’t reveal right now,” Mbappé cryptically told assembled media after linking up with France on Monday. “I didn’t go through that period in the best way possible; I wasn’t exactly the happiest player in the world.”

• March 17, 2026: Mbappé returns against Man City

After more than three weeks pinned to the sidelines, Mbappé came off the bench for Real Madrid’s Champions League last-16 triumph over Manchester City at the Etihad. The player may have insisted that he is “fine” but was not risked in the starting XI for Sunday’s Madrid derby against Atlético, playing less than half an hour.

Mbappé has been included in France’s roster for a pair of friendlies in the U.S., although L’Équipe predict that he will not be risked for more than 45 minutes against Brazil.

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