A viral study just put Mbappe on the spot. The Real Madrid forward, it turns out, runs among the least without the ball. And for many, that was already an open secret.
Just 10 days ago, on April 19, the CIES Football Observatory published a report that quickly went viral. And it has served for Kylian Mbappe's detractors to question the defensive commitment of the Real Madrid attacker.
The study in question is titled "shortest distance covered without ball possession relative to the average of their teammates." Literally. A report that includes all those players from "46 top divisions" around the world who have played at least 1,000 minutes in the last year.
The algorithm they developed for the occasion has revealed a top 10 full of illustrious names. Veterans, for the most part. In fact, it is led by the two best players of the century: Leo Messi (Inter Miami, 38) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr, 41).
CR7, in truth, is tied (x0.74) with another old rocker of unfortunate memory for Spain: the giant (6 feet 5 inches) Artem Dzyuba, who, at 37, plays for Akron Tolyatti in the Russian Premier League.
In fifth place, just after Sebastian Villa (Independiente Rivadavia), appears Kylian Mbappe, tied with Mirlind Daku (Rubin Kazan). The Real Madrid player is the youngest (27) in the top five. In fact, in the top 10, there are only two younger players: Moise Kean (26) and Victor Osimhen, born just nine days later.
A report that again puts the spotlight on the words of Luis Enrique once Mbappe's departure from PSG was confirmed: "The fact of having a player who moved wherever he wanted implies that there are game situations that I do not control. Next year, I will control all of them. All of them, without exception."
Basically, the report confirms what many fans have suspected for years: some superstars simply don't track back. And that is fine as long as they deliver goals and wins. But when a team loses, those same players become easy targets. Mbappe is still young, so he has time to adjust his game if he wants to.
Coaches like Luis Enrique prefer total control, where every player defends and attacks as a unit. Others, like Carlo Ancelotti, give their stars more freedom. The real question for Madrid is whether Mbappe's offensive brilliance outweighs his defensive laziness. So far, the answer has been yes. But as he ages, that balance might shift.
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