Real Madrid held to draw as Mbappé injury raises concern

April 25, 2026 / 11:13 AM

Sharjah24: Real Madrid were held to a disappointing 1–1 draw against Real Betis in La Liga, as their hopes of securing all three points slipped away in the closing moments of the match.

Mbappé injury concern ahead of World Cup

France international Kylian Mbappé, forward for Real Madrid, appeared to suffer a potential injury during the match. He stopped running in the 80th minute and asked to be substituted, despite no visible contact or clear cause. He left the pitch in discomfort, with young player Gonzalo García coming on in the 81st minute.

This raises concern ahead of the 2026 World Cup, set to take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico in around six weeks, which remains his main objective this season.

Speaking after the match, coach Álvaro Arbeloa said: “I don’t know, he was feeling pain, and we hope things develop positively in the coming days,” without providing further details. Real Madrid also declined to comment further when contacted by AFP.

Title race setback for Real Madrid

After taking the lead in the 17th minute through Brazilian forward Vinícius Júnior, Real Madrid looked set for victory. However, Real Betisequaliseddeep into stoppage time through HéctorBellerín(90+4).

The result deals another blow to Real Madrid’s title ambitions in their pursuit of Barcelona. The gap now stands at eight points, while the Catalan side could extend it to 11 points with a win over Getafe on Saturday.

Betis strengthen top-five position

Real Betis moved up to 50 points, sitting in fifth place. Meanwhile, despite a strong performance from Ukrainian goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, Real Madrid were unable to hold on to their lead.