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Real Madrid Make Final Decision On Kylian Mbappe Before Barcelona Clash

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Emmanuel Mendez | Last updated Jan 9, 2026 9:33 AM ET

Another El Clásico matchup is set for the Spanish Super Cup Final, as both FC Barcelona and Real Madrid advanced to the final by beating Athletic Bilbao and Atlético Madrid, respectively.

Barcelona and Real Madrid will fight for another trophy this Sunday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and Real Madrid is hopeful that their star player, Kylian Mbappe, will be available to play.

Mbappe missed Real Madrid's Spanish Super Cup semifinal match against Atletico Madrid yesterday, where they won 2-1 with goals from Federico Valverde and Rodrygo.

Mbappe suffered a knee strain that reportedly would have ruled him out for the first two to three weeks of 2026. Mbappe did not travel with the Real Madrid team to Saudi Arabia for the match against Atletico Madrid, but Xabi Alonso excited fans with his update on the French star.

Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid CF looks with the ball during the LaLiga EA Sports match between Real Madrid CF and Sevilla FC at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on December 20, 2025 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Diego Souto/Getty Images)

After the Atletico Madrid match, Xabi Alonso said, "He [Mbappe] will come to Saudi Arabia in the next 24 hours, he feels much better. He has chances to play."

Kylian Mbappe's Flight to Saudi Arabia

According to Álvaro Esteban, Kylian Mbappe is already on his way to Saudi Arabia to train with the rest of the Real Madrid team ahead of the Clásico match against Barcelona this Sunday.

COPE is even reporting that Mbappe is likely to start the match, but that decision will be taken based on how the players train.

Real Madrid's reported plan for Mbappe is to have the player train in Madrid today and then travel to Jeddah to meet with the team. The French star will be a part of the team training tomorrow. Mbappe reportedly spent nearly 5 hours at Valdebebas each day to recover from his injury.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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