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The newest edition of El Clásico will feature plenty of quality, yet the showdown between Barcelona and Real Madrid will be missing its two most prominent players.
Madrid's disappointing 2025–26 season will conclude without any trophies, while Barça have the opportunity to secure the La Liga championship against their fiercest rivals on Sunday evening.
Barça's impressive winning streak since their defeat to fellow Catalan side Girona back in February has left a wildly inconsistent Madrid trailing far behind, with Hansi Flick's squad, poised to defend their title, sitting 11 points ahead at the top of the table.
This promises to be a night Madrid would rather forget, with their top scorer, Kylian Mbappé, among the players ruled out. The Frenchman has become a divisive figure in the Spanish capital despite his impressive goal tally since arriving at the club, with nearly 70 million people signing an online petition calling for Mbappé's departure from Madrid following recent controversies off the pitch.
Here's the reason the French superstar will be absent from Sunday night's Clásico.
Why Kylian Mbappé Isn't Playing In El Clásico
Mbappé is sidelined for Madrid's second visit to Catalonia in consecutive weeks due to the hamstring problem he picked up against Real Betis at the tail end of April.
Although the French attacker was photographed at training ahead of the Clásico — having returned from what may go down as an ill-fated trip to Sardinia — he was ultimately excluded from Álvaro Arbeloa's matchday squad.
The Madrid manager chose to deploy Vinicius Junior as the focal point of the attack against Espanyol, and the Brazilian netted both goals in a 2–0 victory. However, the loss of Federico Valverde following a training-ground altercation with Aurélien Tchouaméni will likely compel Arbeloa to reconsider his entire tactical approach.
The atmosphere at the club has turned increasingly fractious and toxic, with Mbappé's time at Madrid so far falling well short of the enormous expectations that accompanied his arrival. Several managers have struggled to integrate the French superstar effectively into the side. Nevertheless, despite his current standing with supporters, Mbappé's ties to Los Blancos are expected to remain long-term.
Before long, it will likely fall to José Mourinho to build a cohesive unit that doesn't sacrifice Madrid's exceptional individual talent.
Will Kylian Mbappé Play Again Before the World Cup?
Mbappé's outings during his recovery period have frustrated an already disgruntled fanbase, and many Madridistas suspect the 27-year-old has been easing off during the final stretch of the season — with Madrid having little left to play for — in order to arrive at this summer's World Cup in peak condition.
Mbappé boasts an outstanding record on football's biggest stage and has the opportunity to overtake Miroslav Klose as the tournament's all-time top scorer on North American soil.
While Arbeloa indicated last week that recovery "might take a bit longer" than anticipated, Mbappé is expected to be fit enough to feature for Madrid before the season concludes. The club has three remaining La Liga fixtures after the Clásico, though the World Cup is fast approaching, with France kicking off their campaign against Senegal on June 16.