Kylian Mbappe at risk of losing major La Liga honor amid struggles at Real Madrid
worldsoccertalk.com · 2 months ago
As the La Liga season enters its final stretch with Real Madrid, Kylian Mbappe could miss out on a major individual award. The past few weeks have been turbulent for Real Madrid, with disappointing results on the field and controversy surrounding the club off it. Kylian Mbappe has not been immune to that situation, and now he could lose one of La Liga’s most prestigious individual honors. With two matches remaining in the 2025-26 Spanish league season, Mbappe currently leads the La Liga scoring race. He has scored 24 goals in 36 matchdays, although he has appeared in only 29 of those games. His seven absences were caused by physical issues, first involving his knee and more recently muscular problems. In that context, the French forward’s lead in the scoring standings is being threatened by an unexpected challenger. Vedat Muriqi has enjoyed an outstanding campaign with Mallorca, scoring 22 goals this season. He also holds the advantage of having played in 35 of the club’s 36 matches, missing only one game through suspension. Muriqi’s goals have been crucial in keeping Mallorca alive in La Liga. The club currently occupies one of the relegation spots, sitting 18th in the standings. However, they are level on points with Levante and Elche, and only one point behind Alaves and Girona, meaning their survival hopes remain very much alive. Vedat Muriqi of RCD Mallorca. That motivation could prove decisive for Vedat Muriqi in the final matches of the season, knowing his goals may help the team avoid relegation. Mbappe’s situation appears less encouraging, as he continues to deal with physical issues amid tensions with Alvaro Arbeloa while seemingly focusing more on the 2026 FIFA World Cup with France than on Real Madrid’s final two league games. What’s next for Mbappe and Muriqi in La Liga? The race for La Liga’s Pichichi Trophy appears to be down to Kylian Mbappe (24 goals) and Vedat Muriqi (22), with only two goals separating them. Far behind are Osasuna’s Ante Budimir (17) and Barcelona’s Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal (16). Each forward’s remaining two matches could prove decisive. Real Madrid will first travel to face Sevilla on Sunday before closing the campaign against Athletic Club in Matchday 38. Muriqi, meanwhile, will battle for survival with Mallorca against Levante and Real Oviedo. Mbappe used to finishing as league top scorer The season after joining Paris Saint-Germain, Kylian Mbappe won the Ligue 1 Golden Boot for the first time at just 20 years old. From that point on, he claimed the award in every season he played in France. In fact, the striker finished as Ligue 1’s top scorer for six consecutive years, outperforming even teammates Neymar and Lionel Messi. After joining Real Madrid in 2024, that scoring dominance carried over to Spain, where he finished as La Liga’s top scorer in his debut season. Now, he is trying to retain that honor for a second straight year.
