Real Madrid was always a super team, and they are better known as Galácticos for a purpose. From Ronaldo Nazário to Jude Bellingham, many stars have featured for the Spanish giant. In 2024, they lost the La Liga title and the UEFA Champions League. It felt unstoppable, but the scariest part was coming. In the summer transfer window, Kylian Mbappé was set to be part of the Casa Blanca side. Many analysts predicted that Real Madrid would be unstoppable after the Frenchman joined.

Things did not go the way it was expected to. After Mbappé joined on a five-year contract, Real failed to win any Spanish domestic cup or the UEFA Champions League. But the disappointing thing was that FC Barcelona, which won La Liga in the 2025 season, did not have any superstar striker. It was a squad heavily reliant on La Masia talent and some old players. The best player they had was a left winger brought from Leeds United.

This year, a similar tale is going on where FC Barcelona is on top of the La Liga table with a nine-point lead over Real Madrid. They already lost the Supercopa de España against Barcelona, crashed out of the Champions League, and were knocked out in the Round of 16 by Albacete Balompié, 13th in the Segunda Division. They are going to lose a second straight season without a single trophy. This has raised serious concerns:

New Stars, Same Structural Flaws

After an amazing season, winning the league and the UEFA Champions League in 2024 with a squad without Mbappé, expectations were high. It was expected to be an explosive season as Mbappé joined. Expectations were sky-high, and La Liga was expected to be a farm league. But it never happened. In fact, they lost five times in the last six El Clásicos. The most humiliating thing was that three finals were also included. Last season, they went trophy-less. Carvajal’s injury was key. It was expected that a defensive upgrade would lift them.

Following Mbappé, the next year, Real Madrid brought Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool FC to fill the gap created by the absence of Dani Carvajal. It was a massive move, as a Liverpool legend moving like this was a big bargain for Trent. But it proved to be a fumble for the Englishman, as he was injured most of the time. Trent made no impact for Madrid until now. He featured 16 times and made just four assists, while defensively making no impact.

Mbappé Adds Firepower – but Not Balance

Mbappé performed well in his first season at Real, scoring 38 times and making four assists. He was the top scorer in La Liga, but ended without a single trophy. This was a clear sign that his performance was not enough. Mbappé brought power and clutch striking that Real Madrid were missing, but he also brought ego clashes and constraint. That hit Real more than expected.

The biggest issue at the start was the jersey number, as Kylian is a Ronaldo fan. He always wanted the classic number seven jersey that Ronaldo once had. But the issue was that Vinícius Júnior already had that number and had no intention of giving it. From the jersey number to core position at Real Madrid, both stars faced clashes all the time. Both are elite players operating in the same zone, which made things instinctive rather than stretching play. Both want to be the core of Real Madrid, which affected the team, losing attacking rhythm, and attacking from the same half made it predictable.

Tactical Ideas Exist, but the System Still Doesn’t Click

The major concern was that Real had so many superstars in the squad who wanted to be the core of the club. Over the years, Vinícius Jr. was the core of Madrid, playing a vital role in winning the Champions League. But by the time Kylian arrived at Casa Blanca, it became a headache for coaches like Carlo Ancelotti, who managed superstars yearly to make a perfect side. After Carlo, Xabi Alonso was the second one to struggle.

The core issue was the positioning of each star. But the issue was that Real had Vini and Mbappé, both operating in the same zone. So opponents got an idea of where the attack would come from. This resulted in Madrid facing many low points at the club.

It was believed that the same position was the cause of errors. A change was observed where Carlo was replaced by Xabi. Mbappé was moved to the centre to create more space for Vini on the left. On paper, it felt like the perfect solution. But on the field, it did not work. It made things more complicated and created rivalry within the team.

Star Power Without Control: Why Results Are Suffering

Real Madrid has always had many big names at the same time, from Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, and Ronaldo Nazário to Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, and Karim Benzema. They always had many big names at the club. That was the core reason they won 15 Champions Leagues and dominated Europe. The idea was simple: build the team around a star and bring players to support him. Cristiano Ronaldo was a perfect example, where simple tactics brought three consecutive Champions League titles to the Bernabéu.

These days, the idea is still to build a team around one core player. But the question is how. They already have Vini, a two-time UCL winner and Ballon d’Or runner-up. Or it could be Mbappé, brought after years of waiting. Somewhere in Madrid’s history, they are facing the issue of who will be the next face of the club. It was rumored that Vini might depart and Mbappé would become the face, but Jude Bellingham has also returned from injury and played a vital role in their last UCL-winning campaign.

As the summer window approaches, it is obvious they will enter the transfer market and fill the space if Vini departs. Secondly, David Alaba and Eduardo Camavinga are also expected to leave, so what will happen next will be a surprise.

The Real Madrid magic was always their fighting spirit and love for the badge. They always had squads with creative differences and many superstar clashes. But the definition was always simple: build the squad around one dominant player. It is not an easy task for the new manager to see how he sees the squad. But one thing is clear – whether it will be Jude or Mbappé as the core of the team. An ideal step-up of this side will be disastrous for other clubs. Until then, we have to wait for the end of next season.