Mbappe's Five-Hour Detour: The Pre-Cup Buzz That Outshines the Classic Showdown

Mbappe’s Saudi Detour

The French star of Real Madrid surprised everyone by traveling to Saudi Arabia ahead of the Spanish Super Cup final, a move tied to exclusive coverage on the Thmanyah app—the exclusive carrier of Saudi Roshen League matches. The buildup to the final between Madrid and Barcelona has now a new subplot: will Mbappe play or will he watch the drama unfold from the sideline, sipping water and pretending to be a coach on Zoom?

Final Destination and Team Form

The match is set in Jeddah at a venue described locally as a landmark stadium, where El Clasico meets a trophy that every fan treats like a golden ticket. Barcelona crushed Athletic Bilbao 5-0 to reach the final, while Real Madrid edged Atletico Madrid 2-1, earning their spot in another chapter of a classic saga against their archrivals.

Mbappe’s journey was followed with interest because he missed accompanying the team in the latest training sessions due to an ankle sprain. He nonetheless joined the squad later in the trip, accompanied by the medical staff, signaling a cautious but hopeful path toward a possible appearance in the final.

According to a Spain-based report, coach Xabi Alonso has the plan: Madrid will train in the city’s major venue, with fitness tests and rhythm work designed to gauge Mbappe’s readiness. The decision, as of now, remains open—Mbappe himself eager to contribute while the staff weighs timing and risk.

Fans welcomed Mbappe at the airport with the kind of enthusiasm that only a Clasico eve can generate, heightening the sense that the match is more than a game—it’s a cultural moment in the calendar of football. In the background, Mbappe’s ankle issues from late December linger as a reminder that football is a sport of inches and inches of flight time on a five-hour flight, not quite a long-haul, but close enough.

The French forward wasn’t entirely absent from the plan; he trained separately in Spain before the final and remained part of the squad’s broader narrative. Alonso’s comments at the press conference underlined the practical reality: Mbappe is in good shape and training normally, with his participation in the final contingent on the day’s workout and how he handles the intensity of the camp.

In short, the final remains a potential moment of truth for Mbappe, a narrative that has overshadowed the usual tactical talk about Barcelona’s attacking machine and Madrid’s patient buildup. Either way, the match promises drama—on the pitch and in the stands. Mbappe’s five-hour detour has become a punchline of its own, a reminder that football schedules can be as unpredictable as a last-minute VAR call.

Five hours on the road, and the only thing longer than the trip might be the wait to see if Mbappe will suit up. If nothing else, the trip has already delivered a subplot that’s more entertaining than most mid-season press conferences. And if football really is a flight, Mbappe just earned frequent flyer miles for drama.

Five hours to reach the climax, and the final awaits. If you’re betting on a clean sheet or a last-minute twist, buckle up—the season never fails to deliver a story with a dash of glamour and a pinch of chaos.

Note to Mbappe: if you’re chasing a trophy, you’ve already proven you can travel with style. And if the ball decides to defy gravity, at least you’ll have a story worth telling at the airport lounge.