Who Will Come Out on Top in Power Struggle Between Mbappe and Vinicius Jr?

A sensational report about leaking is the latest in escalating tensions at Real Madrid.

Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Jr have struggled to click together. | Stuart Franklin/UEFA/Getty Images

Kylian Mbappé’s entourage believes that Vinicius Jr is trying to turn the Frenchman into this season’s “villain,” according to one sensational report. It is the latest in a tale of escalating tensions between Real Madrid’s two big beasts.

Real Madrid’s season has been mired in controversy, as on-field disappointment has led to off-field chaos and disharmony that has only ramped up in recent weeks.

Training ground bust-ups have dominated headlines in May, while a surreal “emergency” press conference from Florentino Pérez—in which he called presidential elections and railed against his enemies—did nothing to reinstall a sense of calm at the club.

For his part, Mbappé has never been far from the center of the drama. The forward—despite leading the race for a second successive Pichichi Trophy—has failed to gel with Real Madrid’s other superstar forward in Vinicius Jr and is yet to win a major trophy in Spain.

An ill-timed trip to Italy with his girlfriend and a candid Q&A session with the press in which he called out Álvaro Arbeloa’s tactics and described himself as “fourth-choice striker” have added to a growing disillusionment with the club’s ‘franchise player.’

One petition demanding Mbappé’s sale has garnered millions of online signatories—though it should be said that they are not necessarily all from Madrid fans.

---

Mbappé ‘Thinks’ Vinicius Jr Is Leaking Stories

Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappé have not gelled on the pitch. | Diego Souto/Getty Images

The latest turn in the saga comes from Josep Pedrerol at El Chiringuito, who claims that the No. 9’s camp believes that Vinicius Jr is leaking negative stories to the press, in a bid to paint Mbappé as the “villain of the piece.”

It is also asserted that Mbappé believes that Vinicius Jr was the architect of Xabi Alonso’s January exit.

The Brazilian famously did not see eye-to-eye with Alonso and threw a on-field tantrum threatening to leave the club after being substituted in October’s Clásico.

Mbappé, meanwhile, was a supporter of Alonso and talked up his “great relationship” with the newly appointed Chelsea manager in an explosive mixed-zone outburst after the win over Real Oviedo.

---

Why Haven’t Mbappe and Vinicius Jr Clicked?

Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Jr have only scored in the same game six times this season. | Oscar DEL POZO / AFP via Getty Images

Despite scoring over 60 goals between them this season, Mbappé and Vinicius have not made a natural pair.

The two superstars have failed to gel effectively in Madrid’s attack, and have appeared to cramp one another’s style at times, with both wanting to drift in from the left. In all competitions in 2025–26, they have only scored six times in the same game. In the calendar year of 2026, they have only combined for a goal three times.

On a broader level, Vinicius Jr has seen his status take a hit since Mbappé’s arrival two summers ago. Though his goal contributions have remained consistent, the Brazilian has not been in the conversation for the Ballon d’Or since finishing as runner-up in 2024.

Many have argued that Madrid formed a far more coherent attacking unit in the season before Mbappé arrived, with Jude Bellingham playing as a false 9 behind Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo as the club clinched a 15th Champions League crown.

The duo’s lack of defensive contribution has also clearly hampered the team’s overall balance.

Off the pitch, the two stars have also come to personify the warring factions in a locker room at civil war, with Mbappé spearheading the group that backed Alonso and Vinicius a key instigator in his exit.

While Mbappé is the one with a petition for his exit, both players have been subject to regular boos and whistles at the Bernabéu this season.

---

Could Either Player Be Sold?

Vinicius Jr has just a year left on his contract. | IMAGO / Jan Huebner

El Chiringuito’s report suggests that Vinicius is positioning himself to win the battle to become the de facto leader of the locker room, amid competition from Mbappé.

With Dani Carvajal leaving this summer, the 25-year-old is set to move up to become the official vice-captain, according to the club’s usual policy for selecting leaders.

However, it is unlikely that Mbappé will simply be moved aside. Club president Pérez publicly supported the French superstar he worked so hard to land in a recent interview with LaSexta, calling Mbappé “the best player Real Madrid have right now.”

The eye-watering numbers involved in Mbappé’s salary make a summer sale incredibly unlikely and Real Madrid appear to have made their bed with the former PSG star. However, Vinicius’s situation is more precarious.

The No. 7 has just over a year left on his current Real Madrid contract, while negotiations over a renewal have stalled as he reportedly seeks pay parity with Mbappé.

A key task on tipped incoming manager José Mourinho’s to-do list will be finding a way for Vinicius Jr and Mbappé not only to co-exist but thrive together next season. If he can’t, something might have to give.

---