Paris Saint-Germain thrashed Real Madrid 4-0 in the semi-finals of this year’s Club World Cup. The match was also a masterclass from Luis Enrique, making it hard not to recall the words he once said to Mbappé during his time coaching the forward.
“I know you love Jordan. Jordan would take the ball from his teammates and defend like a maniac.” This was part of a private conversation between Enrique and Mbappé during their time together at Paris Saint-Germain. The coach’s message to the forward was clear.
Enrique knew well: if Mbappé wanted to be the best player in the world, he had to contribute in all aspects of the game. However, Mbappé has never been known for his defensive work or pressing ability—neither in his later days at PSG nor in his first season at Real Madrid.
The Club World Cup semi-final, a showdown between the two teams, became a vivid teaching moment from Enrique to the now-Real Madrid No.9. Under the coach’s instructions, Ousmane Dembélé threw himself into every team press, seizing on mistakes from Marco Asensio and Antonio Rüdiger to seal the victory in just 10 minutes.
The contrast was striking. At the other end of the pitch, Mbappé barely broke a jog, while PSG sliced through Real Madrid’s first line of defense as if it were a training session. Dembélé shone under Enrique’s defensive directives, while Madrid’s attacker vanished entirely from the game.
One now holds the initiative in the Ballon d’Or race; the other has fallen far short of the expectations sparked by his move to the Spanish club. Mbappé is still young and has time to turn things around, but the reality is that while he brings much in attack, he completely hinders defensive efforts and lets his teammates down.
Enrique warned him then, and in their Club World Cup reunion, Mbappé witnessed firsthand the coach’s correctness. Dembélé is the example of what he could have been (and still might be).
Real Madrid’s new coach will demand more from Mbappé, just as Enrique once did. The Frenchman’s future is in his own hands; he needs to strive to become the leader all Madrid fans expect him to be.
To do that, scoring goals alone is not enough. He must defend, press, and try to inspire his teammates. This seems to be the key to success in the new era under Xabi Alonso. For now, at least, Enrique was absolutely right.
