Mbappé Refuses to Participate in Guard of Honor for Barcelona

16 January 2026at19:20

Barcelona clinched the Spanish Super Cup title after defeating their traditional rivals Real Madrid 3-2 in the final match held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This victory reaffirms Barcelona's triumph in the previous edition of the tournament. The match was marked by significant tension and saw Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong sent off.

Following the match, press reports indicated that French star Kylian Mbappé refused to participate in the traditional guard of honor for the winning team. After receiving his silver medal for second place, Mbappé repeatedly gestured to his Real Madrid teammates, urging them to quickly return to the dressing room, preferring not to stay for Barcelona's celebration.

Spanish newspapers "Onda Cero" and "AS" described Mbappé's actions, while Catalan newspaper "Sport" and "AS" referred to it as an "unsportsmanlike gesture" and "the beginning of a controversy." It is worth noting that Mbappé had arrived in Jeddah suffering from a knee injury and played for only 14 minutes after just one training session, where he provided a through-ball to teammate Güler, creating a clear scoring opportunity.

This marks Mbappé's second final match with Real Madrid, having previously featured as a substitute in a Copa del Rey final, which his team also lost.

Q&A

What was Kylian Mbappé's reaction after Real Madrid's Super Cup loss?

After Real Madrid's Super Cup defeat, Kylian Mbappé reportedly urged his teammates to quickly return to the dressing room, choosing not to participate in the traditional guard of honor for victorious Barcelona.

What was the final score of the Spanish Super Cup match?

Barcelona clinched the Spanish Super Cup title, defeating rivals Real Madrid 3-2 in Jeddah. This victory marked their second consecutive triumph, a match also notable for Frenkie de Jong's red card.