Former Real Madrid star Karim Benzema weighs in on the Kylian Mbappe-Vinicius position dilemma
When Kylian Mbappe made his highly anticipated move to Real Madrid as a free agent after leaving Paris Saint-Germain, fans were thrilled at the prospect of him joining an already formidable squad. However, the French forward has encountered challenges finding his ideal position on the team, as Vinicius Jr. occupies the left wing, a spot Mbappe has traditionally favored. Amidst this positioning dilemma, former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema offered some words of advice for his compatriot.
Benzema understands well the pressure that comes with donning the Real Madrid jersey. After joining the club at just 21 years old in 2009, he carved out a legendary career, winning five Champions League titles and succeeding Cristiano Ronaldo as Real Madrid’s leading striker, a journey that culminated in his 2022 Ballon d’Or win. With Mbappe now facing his own set of challenges, Benzema showed support for the younger player.
“The problem is, for me, Mbappe is not a 9. Everytime he plays there for the France national team he doesn’t feel good, it’s no his position. But the problem is that at left wing, there’s a kid (Vinicius Jr.) who is at the same level. You can’t put Vinicius down the right or as a striker, because every time he makes the difference in the left side,” said Benzema in an interview with El Chiringuito‘s Edu Aguirre.
Benzema also emphasized that adapting to the intense scrutiny from Madrid’s fans will be essential for Mbappe’s success: “Mbappe knows that there is a lot of pressure, and truth is that it’s not PSG. At Madrid, you go 2, 3 matches without goals, they’ll k— you. You can win the Ballon d’Or, but if you don’t score in 3 matches after it, the same… He has to get used to it.”
Both Mbappe and Vinicius excel in the same territory: the left wing, where their dribbling skills allow them to cut inside. Given this overlap, Mbappe will need to adjust to a central striker role if he hopes to secure regular playing time. “Every match you have to mentalize yourself to score goals, because Madrid brought you only to score goals,” Benzema ended his statement.
Mbappe’s numbers with Real Madrid
Despite criticism regarding his adaptation, Mbappe’s statistics aren’t lacking. In 14 appearances for Los Blancos across La Liga, the Champions League, and the Super Cup, the Frenchman has scored eight goals and provided two assists.
The primary critique around Mbappe concerns his influence in high-stakes games. Though he netted a decisive goal against Atalanta to secure his first trophy with the club, he struggled to make an impact against Lille in the Champions League and was flagged offside eight times during El Clasico against Barcelona.
Parallels between Mbappe and Benzema’s early days at Real Madrid
Interestingly, Mbappe’s situation resembles the one Benzema faced during his early years at Real Madrid. As Benzema’s career took off, he often found himself in the shadow of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale. However, once the two stars departed, Benzema stepped up as Madrid’s main target man, eventually achieving Ballon d’Or status.
Mbappe may now find himself in a similar position, with Vinicius leading the team from the left wing, much like Ronaldo once did. And while rumors swirl about potential moves to the Saudi Pro League, Vinicius appears committed to Real Madrid for the foreseeable future. In the meantime, Mbappe will need to continue adapting to a central role in the lineup.