(Video) Behind the scenes: What really happened between Mbappé and the fourth official at Mestalla?

Mestalla, Sunday night: the final whistle had barely echoed around the ground when Kylian Mbappé stalked toward the tunnel, jaw clenched, eyes fixed on the fourth official. Real Madrid had just beaten Valencia 2-0, the Frenchman himself sealing the result in stoppage time, yet the strike brought him little joy. Moments earlier he had been flagged offside on the stroke of half-time, a decision that gnawed at him for the remainder of the match.

Broadcast cameras captured the exchange at the mouth of the tunnel. Mbappé, arms outstretched, asked for an explanation. The fourth official replied that the incident “looked worse on camera” and suggested they continue the discussion inside. The forward nodded—he simply wanted clarity. Once out of view, however, the dialogue ended. According to pitch-side microphones, Mbappé repeated his request; the official walked away without another word.

Visibly angered, Mbappé turned to teammate Eduardo Camavinga and, in French, branded the match officials “clowns.” The remark, picked up by broadcast audio, ricocheted across social media within minutes. Compounding his irritation was a torrent of abusive chants from the Valencia support, several of which targeted his mother.

The flashpoint did not derail Madrid. Álvaro Carreras broke the deadlock in the 65th minute, and Mbappé’s late goal secured three points that keep the pressure on league leaders Barcelona. Yet the episode intensified scrutiny of referee-player communication in La Liga; as of Sunday night no disciplinary action had been announced regarding Mbappé’s comments.