Karim Benzema has said Kylian Mbappé needs to step up more for Real Madrid in the big games.
Benzema, who won numerous trophies in his 14 years at Madrid before joining Al Ittihad in July 2023 on a free transfer, said of his former France teammate Mbappé to Diario AS: «He’s much better; scoring goals isn’t new to him. He did it at Paris Saint-Germain, and at Real Madrid he’s going to score many more.»
Mbappé, 26, scored 43 goals in all competitions and finished as LaLiga’s top scorer in his first season at Madrid. He has made a superb start to this campaign as well, with 18 goals in 16 games.
«He needs to focus more on these moments when Real Madrid needs him because he has everything needed to do it,» Benzema said.
«There will be games where Mbappé won’t touch the ball. What we expect from Kylian is that when he gets the chance, he’ll put it away. That’s how Real Madrid is. Real Madrid needs him a lot, and there are games where he has to score, like against Atlético Madrid, Liverpool … These are teams that sit back, and he has to step up, work those situations.»
Benzema said he still follows Real Madrid’s games and believes there is another area where the team can improve.
«I think Vinícius, Mbappé, Rodrygo, [Jude] Bellingham … they have to communicate,» he said.
«One is there to score goals, another to provide assists.
«We’re not going to tell Bellingham to score goals because that’s Mbappé’s job, nor tell him to be the number 10 because that’s Bellingham’s role. They have to communicate.»
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Benzema, meanwhile, said he is enjoying playing in Saudi Arabia and has not ruled out continuing at Al Ittihad beyond his current deal, which expires in June 2026.
«My contract here is nearing its end, that’s true,» the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner said.
«I still can’t say whether I’ll stay or leave; it depends on many things. I’ll be 38 in December. I see myself playing football for another two years. Physically, I’m fine, I work hard, and I’m playing football. I love football, I enjoy it. We’ll see what happens, what the club thinks.
«I like to talk face-to-face and see what they think. The best thing for me is to continue here, but also not just stay for the sake of staying for another year or two. I can’t do that. I think the level of football in the league is getting better and better.»
