“It's nice to be recognized by your peers” - Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe on beating Barcelona star to 'Best French Player Abroad’ award
Kylian Mbappe was named the 'Best French Player Abroad' at the UNFP Awards on Sunday (May 11) despite a rollercoaster ride in his debut season at Real Madrid. He pipped the likes of Barcelona's Jules Kounde, Bayern Munich's Michael Olise, and Arsenal's William Saliba to claim the individual accolade.
Mbappe joined Real Madrid after leaving Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) as a free agent last summer but had a quite slow start to life in the Spanish capital. However, with 39 goals across competitions so far, the Frenchman has flipped the narrative surrounding his move to Madrid.
After scoring a hat-trick in the 4-3 defeat to Barcelona on Sunday, Mbappe has leapfrogged Robert Lewandowski in the race for the Pichichi.
"It's nice to be recognized by your peers. You always have to work, prove yourself, and strive for victories." Mbappe said after winning the best French player playing abroad award in 2025.
Notably, the accolade is Kylian Mbappe’s first individual honor since he joined Los Blancos. His three goals against Barcelona on Sunday also saw him surpass Ivan Zamorano’s record for the most goals scored in a debut season at Real Madrid. The former Chilean striker scored 37 goals in his maiden campaign (1992-93 season) at Los Blancos.
How Kylian Mbappe fared for Real Madrid in the 4-3 defeat to Barcelona
Kylian Mbappe starred in Sunday’s El Clasico despite ending up on the losing side. Real Madrid and Barcelona have played against each other four times this season, and Mbappé scored in three of the four meetings.
The Frenchman gave his side a two-goal lead with a brace in the opening 14 minutes. But goals from Eric Garcia, Lamine Yamal, and a Raphinha brace saw Real Madrid trail by two goals before the break. Mbappe completed his hat-trick in the 70th minute, but it ended up being a consolation goal as Hansi Flick’s men saw out the remaining minutes.
In 90 minutes of play, Mbappe registered four shots on target, created one big chance, and won a penalty.
In the post-match press conference, Carlo Ancelotti said about his performance (via the club's official website):
“He did well. Up front, we had chances and they were all very clear. We attacked well, getting in behind them, avoiding offside. We scored three and two were offside. Offensively, the team had a clear idea. We could have defended better in the first 30 minutes of the first half, but we mustn't forget that we were missing five defenders.”
