Mbappé Ruled Out of Madrid Derby in 2026 Spanish Super Cup; Real Madrid Turns to Youth Prospect García

Real Madrid will face Atlético de Madrid in the 2026 Spanish Super Cup semifinal without star striker Kylian Mbappé, who is sidelined with a knee sprain. Despite Mbappé’s impressive contribution of 29 goals in 24 appearances since joining the club, Real Madrid has maintained a strong record in his absence, securing 7 wins, 3 draws and only 1 loss in 11 matches over the past 16 months, boasting a 63.6% win rate.

This marks the first time Mbappé has missed two consecutive Madrid derbies as a Real Madrid player. In his previous absence from a La Liga derby in September 2024, the match ended in a 1-1 draw with Rodrygo and Vinícius Júnior leading the attack. With Mbappé unavailable, manager Xabi Alonso will once again rely on academy graduate Gonzalo García – the Club World Cup top scorer who recently secured a starting spot with a hat-trick against Betis, set to make his Spanish Super Cup debut. Notably, although Mbappé scored in 2 of his 4 La Liga derbies against Atlético de Madrid, Real Madrid failed to win any of those matches, including a heavy 5-2 defeat under Xabi Alonso. Atlético de Madrid, meanwhile, faces uncertainty over the fitness of key midfielder Pablo Barrios, making lineup adjustments a crucial factor for both sides.

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