Real Madrid defeated relegated Real Oviedo 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu on May 14, 2026, in their first home match since Barcelona clinched the La Liga title [1, 2, 3]. Gonzalo Garcia opened the scoring in the 44th minute before Jude Bellingham sealed the win with a goal in the 80th minute, assisted by Mbappe [1, 2, 4, 3].
Kylian Mbappe returned from a hamstring injury and came on as a substitute in the 68th or 69th minute but was met with boos and whistles from the Real Madrid fans [1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 3]. The 41-goal striker stated he was fully fit and ready to start but was left out of the starting lineup by coach Alvaro Arbeloa, who cited Mbappe’s recent injury as the reason [7, 8, 4, 5, 6]. Mbappe said, “I’m 100% fine. I haven’t played because for the coach I’ve been the fourth striker in the squad behind (Franco) Mastantuono, Vinius, and Gonzalo. I was ready to start, it’s his decision and it always has to be respected” [7].
Arbeloa denied telling Mbappe he was the fourth-choice forward and said the player misunderstood him, emphasizing the decision was based on Mbappe’s fitness after missing the previous match against Barcelona [7, 8, 4, 5, 6]. “For me it is very clear that a player who four days ago could not be on the bench, today should not start,” Arbeloa said, adding, “Maybe he didn’t understand me well. I don’t know what else to tell you. At no point could I tell him that he’s the fourth-choice forward” [7, 6].
The boos came amid criticism of Mbappe’s trip to Sardinia during his injury recovery, which the player said was approved by the club. “I had the club’s permission to be away from Madrid. I wasn’t the only one, but you have to accept it and move on,” Mbappe said [4]. He added, “The whistles... that’s life, you can’t change the opinion of the people when they are angry. It’s the life of a Real Madrid player and a famous player like me” [3].
Real Madrid remain second in La Liga with 80 points, 11 behind champions Barcelona, with two games left in the season [1, 2]. Coach Arbeloa confirmed Mbappe will start in the next league match against Sevilla on Sunday, May 17 [7, 8, 5].
Madrid president Florentino Perez also announced that club presidential elections will be held, marking a notable moment for the club’s leadership [4, 3].
