Will Kylian Mbappe's recent upsurge in form reduce Vinicius Jr's chances of winning Ballon d'Or?

The Frenchman has transformed himself into Madrid’s most crucial player.

According to Kylian Mbappe, overanalyzing and failing to direct his efforts in the proper direction has been the most challenging obstacle he has faced since moving to the Bernabeu.

The 26-year-old revealed that missing his penalty during Real Madrid’s 2-1 LaLiga loss to Athletic Bilbao in early December marked a turning point in his career.

“I believe it was a mentality issue and that was a point I realised that I had to work harder,” Mbappe said.

After just netting three goals in 11 games for Carlo Ancelotti’s team, the France captain was recently the target of intense criticism from Real Madrid supporters and commentators. It came after the 26-year-old’s contentious departure from Paris Saint-Germain to sign a free transfer with the Spanish powerhouses in June of last year after his contract expired.

After a “slow start” to life in Madrid, he has since scored 27 goals in all competitions this season. He is thriving instead of adapting, it’s safe to assume.

⚪️🛸 27th goal in 38 games for Kylian Mbappé at Real Madrid. Wow. 🚀✨ pic.twitter.com/L97jPryeGD

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 19, 2025

Now, Mbappe is beginning to resemble the feared forward who spent six years at PSG scoring 256 goals in 308 games.

He was given a standing ovation when he was substituted in the 78th minute following his treble, demonstrating that the Real Madrid supporters are definitely liking what they are witnessing.

Will Kylian Mbappe’s recent upsurge in form reduce Vinicius Jr.’s importance at Real Madrid?

Vinicius Jr. was preferred in his favourite left-wing position. Thus Mbappe had to play out of position. The forward found it difficult to adjust to the central striker role that Ancelotti had given him.

Didier Deschamps left the captain of the France national team out of four Nations League games in October and November of last year due to his poor play in Spain.

However, he has kept Real Madrid in Europe following a rocky start to their campaign and scored seven goals in six LaLiga games since the new year.

Since Kylian Mbappé posted this, he has 17 goals & 2 assists, including 2 hattricks, in 18 games.Walking the talk. 🥶 pic.twitter.com/6krKjw0xoM

— Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) February 19, 2025

It is understandable why he is already being compared to Cristiano Ronaldo, another Real great. Statistics indicate that he is already following in the footsteps of the Portugal legend, who won two LaLiga titles and four Champions League titles during a trophy-filled spell at Real Madrid.

With seven goals in the Champions League this campaign, Mbappe has tied Spanish attacker Justo Tejada (1961–62) and Ronaldo (2009–10) for the most goals recorded by a Real player in Europe’s top club tournament in their first season.

It won’t be long before he solidifies his position as the face and hero of this Real Madrid team with more displays like Wednesday.

But what about Vinicius Jr, who was the favourite to win the Ballon d’Or last year but ended up being the runner-up, now? With Mbappe stealing the limelight on big matchdays what will happen to the Brazilian who was seen as the most influential player for Los Blancos?

Mbappe is now scoring more goals and starting to look like a prominent player on the field despite playing out of position. Meanwhile, the Brazilian appears like a second fiddle in the team, who was once the main character of the club.

Keep in mind his contract talks with Los Blancos aren’t reaching an amicable conclusion with the Saudi clubs offering a mammoth price. The Spanish capital team may be tempted to offload the player as they already have Mbappe who is making a big impact. Moreover, Mbappe could become an undisputed star once he is moved to the left.

However, it would be too soon to say anything about Vinicus becoming less important at the club as Carlo Ancelotti knows the significance of the Brazilian. He will certainly start every game even if he doesn’t score knowing how much impact he makes at the club.

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