A Legendary Voice Dissects Real Madrid’s Breaking Point

While preparing for the second half of the season with Al-Ittihad in Dubai, Karim Benzema gave an interview to L’Équipe that immediately reignited debate around Real Madrid’s internal situation. The former captain argued that the team is suffering from a deep football-chemistry crisis. In his view, stars like Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, and Rodrygo have yet to find the harmony needed to function as a cohesive unit.

For Benzema, the issue has nothing to do with talent and everything to do with roles being misunderstood. Mbappé must be the pure finisher, Bellingham the attacking midfielder, and Vinicius a true left winger who does not drift away from his natural game. Once everyone understands their place, he says, the rest follows. But when “everyone wants to be the best,” the structure inevitably suffers.

Egos, Undefined Roles, and the Absence of a Locker-Room Leader

Benzema went even further by emphasizing that the problem is not Xabi Alonso, but the players themselves. The coach can guide, but true hierarchy is built on the pitch. And today, he says, Madrid lacks a veteran presence capable of correcting the team’s biggest stars when necessary. “There is no player who can tell Bellingham, Mbappé or Vinicius that they’re wrong,” he stressed.

He also lamented the modern dressing room culture, where players focus more on personal statistics and less on collective growth. According to Benzema, accepting that a teammate scores more or receives more praise is fundamental in any elite squad. Without that humility, coexistence becomes unstable and tensions grow.

Mbappé and the Weight of Leading Real Madrid

The Frenchman devoted a significant part of his analysis to Kylian Mbappé, whom he sees as decisive but still adjusting to the enormous responsibility that comes with the Madrid badge. Benzema acknowledges his phenomenal scoring ability, yet insists that his true mission is to deliver in defining moments—the matches where trophies are won or lost. That, he believes, is where Mbappé must take “that small step” to become the team’s unquestionable attacking leader.

He also dismissed the notion that certain performances are “easy.” Scoring a hat-trick against Elche—or any opponent—is never simple. The real measure of greatness, he argued, is producing when the pressure peaks and the team has no margin for error. That is precisely why Madrid signed him.

A More Difficult Football World and an Uncertain Future

Benzema reflected as well on how football has changed. “Players don’t talk to each other anymore,” he said, noting that this emotional disconnection inevitably affects performances. In his eyes, Real Madrid’s struggles persist not because of a lack of stars but because today’s football demands communication and unity—two elements the team has yet to master. Even so, he believes the group can stabilize if each player embraces their role without ego.

The interview also touched on his desire to play another World Cup—“Who doesn’t want to play one?”—and his admiration for Zinedine Zidane, whom he considers destined to succeed as France’s future head coach. For Benzema, wherever Zidane goes, “he will win.”