![[Subscription Customers Only] Jul 9, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Real Madrid CF forward Kylian Mbappe (9) reacts during a semifinal match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Lee Smith-Reuters via Imagn Images](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_3059,h_1720/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/production/384/01ksge0k1v96bp2de76e.jpg "[Subscription Customers Only] Jul 9, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Real Madrid CF forward Kylian Mbappe (9) reacts during a semifinal match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Lee Smith-Reuters via Imagn Images")
Kylian Mbappe is officially two for two for Pichichi trophies at Real Madrid since arriving from PSG in 2024 in one of the most hyped transfers in history, but no Madridista cares about that award, as Mbappe is also zero for two in terms of major team silverware since joining the club.
The 2025/26 season was his most tumultuous yet, with Mbappe more in the headlines for controversies than success on the field. Yet, at the end of the day, because of his raw numbers and success in the first half of the season, he is one of the five official nominees for the La Liga Player of the Season.
Barcelona superstar right winger Lamine Yamal, Pichichi competitor Vedat Muriqi from relegated Mallorca, Villarreal star Nicolas Pepe of Arsenal and Lille fame, and underrated Real Betis gem Pablo Fornals are the other competitors.
Lamine Yamal was way better than Kylian Mbappe
Obviously, Pepe, Muriqi, and Fornals are not going to be serious competitors to Mbappe, so it is going to come down to Yamal and the Frenchman for the La Liga Player of the Season award. And though Real Madrid fans are usually loathe to admit a Barca player is more deserving of an honor over a Madrid star, even the Madridistas in replies to posts about the news have reached a consensus that, begrudgingly, Yamal deserves it more.
Lamine Yamal is a phenomenon, and he is so good that he is already in that bracket of players like Lionel Messi, Xavi, Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o, Neymar, and Andres Iniesta that even the Madridistas have to say is a truly world class and transcendent player. As great as Kylian Mbappe can be, he is nowhere near well rounded, talented, technical, or consistent enough to be in that same stratosphere, which is painful to admit since he was supposed to be that player for Madrid.
This season, Yamal had 16 goals and 11 assists to Mbappe's 25 goals and 5 assists. If you take out penalties, Yamal would have only scored three fewer in La Liga this season while having more than double the assists.
The other statistics show Yamal did a lot more work outside of the goal contributions, which is very important. He had 2.3 more dribbles completed per game, leading La Liga with an astounding 4.8 per match. Yamal also averaged more fouls drawn per game by 0.7 and more key passes per game by 0.5. And with 1.3 tackles and 0.4 interceptions per game compared to Mbappe's ghastly 0.1 and 0.1 on defense, Yamal's all around game was well clear of Mbappe's. Even the most biased of Madridistas has to admit Yamal is the runaway winner here.
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