Kylian Mbappe delivered a timely reminder of his all round brilliance against Norway, trading goalscoring for creativity in a performance that suggested the Real Madrid superstar is ready to silence his critics.
The 27 year old’s 2025/26 season had ended in frustration. Despite securing a second consecutive Pichichi Trophy, Real Madrid finished the campaign trophyless, and Mbappe faced mounting criticism over his relationship with teammates and high profile missed chances. The narrative that Paris Saint Germain and Luis Enrique had been right to move him on reached its peak as the French champions lifted their second straight Champions League title.
Against Norway, Mbappe offered a compelling response.
A creator, not just a scorer
Mbappe had opened his World Cup campaign with braces against Iraq and Senegal, but against a Norway side missing Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard, he adopted a different role. Although he struck the crossbar early and registered the most shots of any France player, it was his creativity that proved decisive.
The Real Madrid No.9 led the team with four key passes and two assists, repeatedly finding Ousmane Dembélé on the right flank. The PSG winger, who won the Ballon d’Or in 2024/25 as Mbappe’s effective replacement, finished with a hat trick, his devastating curling efforts leaving the Norwegian goalkeeper helpless.
A message for Madrid
Rather than showing signs of jealousy or selfishness, Mbappe regularly passed up shooting opportunities to locate Dembélé, who cut in from the right and delivered a masterclass in finishing. It was a performance that directly challenged the narrative that had built against him in Madrid.
Mbappe was instrumental in the two goals that hauled France back into a winning position after Norway took the lead at NRG Stadium . His versatility in combining with Dembélé and Antoine Griezmann gave France a fluid attacking balance that Norway could not contain .
Real Madrid will have watched with interest. José Mourinho will surely encourage Mbappe to replicate this creative approach alongside Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham, whose games would benefit significantly from the Frenchman’s willingness to share the ball.
The narrative that Mbappe is a selfish player who will not pass for others has been firmly challenged. At the World Cup, the Real Madrid star is proving he can be as effective a creator as he is a scorer.
