After a highly dramatic transfer saga, Kylian Mbappe's dream move to Real Madrid finally came true during the summer of 2024 as he was introduced to the Bernabeu in front of a record crowd following the free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain.

The Frenchman is definitely one of the brightest stars of his generation, having already won the World Cup in 2018 and almost single-handedly repeated that feat against a motivated Argentina side led by Lionel Messi, who ultimately came out victorious in the thrilling 2022 finale in Qatar.

Mbappé's time at Real could be labeled bittersweet: despite scoring 44 goals in his debut season, which is, of course, a club record for any new signing in his first campaign, the Forward was unable to win any major trophy with Los Blancos last season.

Things are looking the same this time around, as despite Mbappe scoring 39 goals already in all competitions, the Whites' chances of going trophyless are growing each passing day.

Madrid are currently nine points behind league leaders Barcelona, and their Champions League aspirations also hang in the balance as the Merengues hope for a major turnaround at the Allianz Arena after losing the first leg 2-1 against Bayern Munich, as Mbappe turned out to be the savior again, scoring the only goal for Los Blancos at the Bernabeu.

Despite providing match-winning performances for the Whites this season, Mbappe has looked pale in the past few games as he has come back from a ligament injury that sidelined him for a few pivotal games before the international break.

As it seems the Frenchman might just have provided an insight into his recent struggles and also pointed out the real difference maker for a player to succeed in an interview with GQ Espana (h/t GOAL), saying, "These days, talent isn’t enough. What makes the difference is consistency. We are in an era of excessive consumption. We can't always be good and deliver the show people expected."

The grueling schedule definitely takes a toll on every professional footballer, more so if you are playing at a club like Real Madrid, where every game is important, and the international games add even more pressure on the players, where they seem to acquire most injuries.

There is no denying that schedules nowadays are often made with the profit-making side in mind, but the huge salaries that some of the biggest stars draw cannot be ignored entirely.

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