SOCCER: Mbappe questions Real Madrid’s desire after Benfica defeat

Kylian Mbappe admitted Real Madrid lacked the hunger and consistency needed for champions after a dramatic 4-2 Champions League loss to Benfica, which saw the Portuguese side sneak into the playoffs on goal difference.

REUTERS

January 29, 2026

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe battles Benfica's Nicolas Otamendi during the UEFA Champions League match at Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal, on January 28, 2026.

Pedro Nunes / Reuters

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe said his team failed to match the hunger shown by Benfica in Wednesday’s 4-2 Champions League defeat, adding that the side is not demonstrating the consistency expected of champions.

A 98th-minute header from Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin denied the 15-time European champions an automatic spot in the last 16, while the Portuguese club advanced to the playoffs on goal difference.

“It isn’t about quality, and it isn’t about tactics,” Mbappe, who scored twice on Wednesday, told reporters. “It’s about having more desire than your opponent. You could see that everything was on the line for Benfica, and you couldn’t see that for us, and that’s a problem.”

Real Madrid have endured a turbulent season, highlighted by manager Xabi Alonso’s departure and the team being eliminated from the Spanish Cup last 16 by second-tier Albacete just two weeks ago.

Although they had won their last three games in all competitions under new manager Alvaro Arbeloa, Wednesday’s result was seen as a setback.

“We aren’t being consistent in our play. We have to solve that,” Mbappe said. “We can’t perform well one day and then struggle the next. A team of champions doesn’t do that.”

Real, currently second in La Liga, will next face Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.

-Reporting by Karan Prashant Saxena in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford/Reuters