The 2026 World Cup ended in the worst way for Ibrahima Konaté. Starting for the first time in the tournament during the match for third place against England, the new Real Madrid defender had a complicated evening. France, trailing 0-4 at the break, still lost 4-6, but Didier Deschamps decided to replace the ex-Reds defender at half-time. After a World Cup where he hardly played, this performance did not escape the Spanish press, which focused extensively on the difficult beginnings of the future Merengue.
On the Catalan side, the media did not spare the new Merengue recruit. Sport believes that Konaté “don’t get excited” and underlines his passivity on several English goals, while questioning his level a few weeks before his debut in the Madrid jersey. Mundo Deportivo is less responsible, but regrets a failed start by pointing out a lack of impact in the duels. Same story for L’Esportiuwho notes that the English “found the net with disconcerting ease, notably thanks to the disappointing first start of Madrid central defender Konaté”.
A first challenge for José Mourinho
In Madrid, the comments are more measured. A.S. recalls that Konaté experienced a “Ghost World”with very little playing time before this meeting, and believes that it is difficult to draw definitive conclusions from a single complicated half. Marcafor his part, prefers to highlight the physical qualities of the French defender as well as his potential, believing that he will especially have to be judged during the summer preparation and under the orders of José Mourinho. The Madrid media thus avoid condemning him, even if he was not praised in the notes.
A.S. And Marca did not give it a star in their analysis, unlike Mbappé or Olise, while El Desmarque, like our editorial team, gave it a 2/10: “the central defender will join Real Madrid after making a terrible impression, a true reflection of what the French defense looked like in the first half”. After a frustrating World Cup and a failed first start, the French international will therefore be expected to turn the corner this summer. His ability to quickly return to his best level will be one of the first issues to follow for José Mourinho.
