Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé Ruled Out of Spanish Super Cup

Real Madrid’s quest for the first piece of silverware in 2026 has suffered a major blow as Kylian Mbappé has been officially ruled out of the Spanish Super Cup. The French superstar was the most significant omission from Xabi Alonso’s 24-man squad that departed for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday.

Mbappé, who finished 2025 in sensational form by equaling Cristiano Ronaldo’s club record of 59 goals in a calendar year, sustained a sprain to his left knee during a training session on December 30. While the club initially hoped he might recover in time for a potential final, medical staff have now mandated a "zero-risk" policy, sidelining the 27-year-old for approximately three weeks.

In his absence, the goalscoring burden will fall on academy graduate Gonzalo García. The young striker, nicknamed ‘Golzalo,’ is expected to start in Thursday’s semi-final derby against Atlético Madrid after netting a clinical hat-trick in the recent 5-1 win over Real Betis.

Though Madrid welcomes back Trent Alexander-Arnold from a thigh injury, losing their talismanic forward remains a difficult hurdle. With Los Blancos currently trailing Barcelona in the La Liga standings, Alonso must now prove his squad's depth on the international stage without his leading scorer.