Without Mbappé, Real Madrid look to secure a place in the final

The knee sprain suffered by Kylian Mbappé during Real Madrid’s open training session in front of their fans on December 30 has ruled him out of the Madrid derby in the Supercopa de España semifinals. After missing Real Madrid’s first match of 2026 against Real Betis in LaLiga, the French forward did not train on Tuesday and will remain in Madrid to continue his recovery process.

If his medical progress is positive and Real Madrid advance to the Supercopa final—scheduled for Sunday at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah—Mbappé would travel to Saudi Arabia on Friday to rejoin the squad and potentially return for the decisive match.

Mbappé’s message ahead of the Supercopa semifinal

The French star sent a message of encouragement to his teammates after staying in the Spanish capital and not traveling to Jeddah. Mbappé said he trusts the team “1,000%” to lift the trophy.

“Good luck, team! I trust you 1,000%. We’re going to succeed. Hala Madrid! Let’s go for the Supercopa!” Mbappé wrote on his official Instagram account, alongside a photo of the squad posing with the plane bound for Saudi Arabia.

Real Madrid face Atlético de Madrid this Thursday in the tournament’s second semifinal. The Supercopa de España kicks off a day earlier with Barcelona vs. Athletic Club. Mbappé will miss his second consecutive match due to the knee sprain, as he awaits a favorable recovery that could allow him to feature in a potential final.