Real Madrid News
Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe backs himself for Ballon d’ Or and responds to viral ‘dictator’ nickname
Real Madrid are preparing to face Rayo Vallecano in La Liga, and Kylian Mbappe will be hoping to continue his good start to the season.
The Frenchman has scored five goals in five games across all competitions so far. He has insisted that his goalscoring will never be a problem despite the criticism levelled at him.
As quoted by Mundo Deportivo, Mbappe has spoken openly about two very different subjects surrounding him at Madrid: his viral “dictator” nickname and his ambition to finally win the Ballon d’Or.
Mbappe sets limits on viral nickname
The nickname originated from a joke made by Ousmane Dembele during a France camp, and Mbappe drew a clear distinction between that and some of the harsher narratives circulating online.
“Sometimes it shows a lack of political and human awareness,” Mbappe said.
Kylian Mbappé reacts to the "Dictator" memes 😭
— Ballon d'Or (@ballondor) September 11, 2026
Find everything about him: https://t.co/6vZvjTg559#ballondor #mbappe #realmadrid pic.twitter.com/ErkO2LWyC2
On Dembele’s version of the joke, however, his tone was much lighter.
“What Ousmane does is different. He got it from social media! His version is something to laugh about, not something meant to hurt,” Mbappe explained.
The important point for Madrid is that Mbappe does not appear distracted by the noise surrounding him.
He is comfortable enough to joke about part of it while still setting boundaries where he feels they are needed.
The Ballon d’Or ambition
Mbappe was even more direct when the subject turned to the Ballon d’Or.
“Who would I vote for? Myself,” he said with a laugh.
“I have the idea that I can win it this year, so I have not taken a step back on that subject. Of course I can win it.
“I have arguments, like being the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history ahead of great legends, in the biggest tournament ever created,” he continued.
Mbappe has never hidden his individual ambition, and there is no reason he should. At Madrid, the challenge is simply making sure personal goals remain tied to collective success.
Mbappe also pointed out that individual awards are always subjective.
“Or being the top scorer in other competitions alongside other great players. It is an individual award, and there has never been unanimity over the winners, so many people think they can win it,” the Frenchman concluded.
Mbappe had an excellent club season with Madrid despite the team overall failing to win any silverware.
He then continued his excellent form at the World Cup, where he walked away with the Golden Boot ahead of the likes of Lionel Messi.
There is a case to be made for Mbappe to be the deserving Ballon d’Or winner this season, and it remains to be seen how matters unfold.
Real Madrid News
Stats: VAR has disallowed more than twice as many Real Madrid goals as Barcelona’s since 2018
It has been almost a decade since VAR was introduced in the Spanish top flight, but the controversies simply do not seem to stop.
Clubs have constantly debated the inconsistencies of decisions made using technology and whether it actually adds something positive to the game.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Real Madrid have had 42 goals overturned by VAR since the technology was introduced in La Liga, more than any other club in the competition.
Madrid lead the ranking by a considerable margin, with Barcelona having just 19 goals disallowed through technological intervention.
Real Madrid comfortably lead VAR statistics
Since VAR’s introduction in the 2018-19 season, referees have initially awarded 42 Madrid goals that were subsequently ruled out following video reviews.
Atletico Madrid and Villarreal are joint second with 22 each, followed by Celta Vigo, Real Sociedad and Sevilla with 20 apiece.
Barcelona sit seventh with 19, meaning Madrid have experienced 23 more VAR goal reversals than their biggest rivals.
The figures cover eight completed seasons and the beginning of the current campaign. Madrid’s latest disallowed goal came during Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Villarreal.
Vinicius Junior appeared to double the hosts’ advantage, but VAR identified an earlier incident in the same move in which the Brazilian pulled defender Nathan Saliba’s hair.
Referee Isidro Diaz de Mera reviewed the footage on the pitchside monitor, cancelled the goal and sent Vinicius off.
The numbers need greater context
The numbers are striking, but they do not necessarily tell the complete story about Real Madrid or the quality of Spanish refereeing.
One important factor to consider when interpreting these numbers is Los Blancos’ attacking style.
Over recent seasons, Madrid have frequently relied on quick transitions, exploiting space behind opposition defences through explosive forwards such as Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe and Rodrygo.
Players making repeated runs beyond the defensive line are naturally more exposed to marginal offside decisions, particularly when attacks depend on perfectly timed passes at high speed.
That does not mean every disallowed Madrid goal involved offside. However, the team’s direct attacking approach offers a plausible explanation for why such situations might arise more frequently.
Madrid also create numerous attacking opportunities, making raw totals less informative without comparing disallowed goals against total goals scored and the reasons behind each VAR intervention.
VAR corrections do not settle Madrid’s refereeing concerns
These VAR decisions also do not answer Madrid’s growing concerns with the consistency of refereeing decisions in La Liga.
Madrid’s complaints concern the application of VAR in different games under similar circumstances, not simply the merits of individual decisions.
The Villarreal incident offers a clear example of VAR correcting an initial decision, but it does not explain why it did not punish Stole Dimitrievski in a similar situation against Vinicius.
There is a lot that needs to be addressed in La Liga, both in terms of on-field refereeing and the use of VAR.
It remains to be seen whether Madrid’s repeated complaints force the federation to improve the standards in La Liga and how the situation pans out through the course of the season.
