The Matchday 8 encounter between Brest and Real Madrid shed light on many aspects of the Madrid side’s leadership dynamics. While Kylian Mbappé was the centre of attention, it was Rodrygo Goes and Jude Bellingham who truly shone.
For the past few days, an intense debate has been raging among Madridistas. Following a poll conducted by Marca, which asked Real Madrid supporters to vote for the team’s leader, 46% of the 22,000 voters chose Kylian Mbappé, who comfortably outpaced Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian winger received only 7%, trailing behind both Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde. To reinforce the majority opinion in Spain, Dani Carvajal openly stated on Monday night that KM9 is the team’s leader—if not the best player in the world at present. However, one player completely left out of the discussions, Rodrygo Goes, responded in the best way possible—on the pitch.
Rodrygo’s emphatic response on the pitch
Starting on the left wing in place of the suspended Vinicius Junior, the Brazilian forward delivered a standout performance, netting a brilliant brace in Real Madrid’s 3-0 victory. Having been in fine form over the past few matches, Rodrygo Goes is proving that he remains a key asset in Madrid’s attack. Despite often being overlooked in discussions, the 23-year-old has established himself as one of Europe’s top forwards this season, with 13 goals to his name.
Similarly, Jude Bellingham, who also found the net in the match against Brest and plays a crucial role in both attack and defence, let his performances speak louder than words. Both he and Rodrygo avoided engaging in the public debate on leadership, preferring to respond through their actions on the pitch.
Indeed, given Kylian Mbappé’s underwhelming return to France, it is difficult to argue that he has already cemented his status as Real Madrid’s undisputed leader. The French forward has been unstoppable since the turn of the year and brings a lot to the team’s attacking play. However, he is still far from single-handedly claiming the leadership mantle at the Merengue club, as some have suggested.
Real Madrid: The only team with Three or Four undisputed leaders
Since Kylian Mbappé’s arrival in Madrid, the notion of a singular “best player” has become somewhat obsolete at Real Madrid—for now, at least. With his global fame, reputation, and performances, the French national team captain, currently the club’s top scorer with 22 goals, has somewhat overshadowed the hype surrounding Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian winger, who has been Real Madrid’s most decisive player over the past two or three seasons and narrowly missed out on the 2024 Ballon d’Or in October, now finds himself sharing the spotlight with the club’s marquee summer signing.
At the same time, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo Goes continue to shine with their impressive performances. According to statistics after the Brest match, Real Madrid is the first team in Europe’s top five leagues to have four players who have scored at least 10 goals across all competitions this season (Mbappé with 22, Vinicius with 17, Rodrygo with 13, and Bellingham with 10). Given these figures, it would arguably be unfair to elevate one player above the rest in Madrid’s attacking lineup.
As Carlo Ancelotti has expertly managed so far, the squad needs unity and collective effort to continue competing for trophies by the end of the season. By overemphasising one player over others in every match, small tensions could arise among the young attacking stars, potentially destabilising the club. Real Madrid must focus on securing strong results as the season progresses. It will take months—if not years—to determine whether Kylian Mbappé will eventually take full control of this Madrid side’s leadership.
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