Figo Warns Real Madrid as Barcelona Surges Ahead in La Liga
Luis Figo has never been afraid of a storm. He walked through one the day he swapped Barcelona for Real Madrid and rewrote the history of the Clasico. Now, with his old club drifting six points off the top and Barcelona flying, he has stepped back into the spotlight with a verdict that will sting the Bernabéu.
From the safety of a radio studio, he delivered it cleanly: if Barcelona keep this up, La Liga might be done long before May.
Figo’s blunt warning
Speaking to Spanish station Marca, the former Ballon d’Or winner could only admire the start made by the Catalans. Seven games, seven wins. Twenty-one points from 21. Thirty-one goals scored. A perfect record and a brutal statement.
“They have started very strongly. They are winning, playing well and scoring goals. For Spanish football, this is of course a good thing,” Figo said.
It was praise from a man who built his legend in white, but he refused to turn it into a coronation. Not yet.
“We have to wait and see how the season develops, because it is very long,” he added, reminding everyone that autumn form does not hand out trophies.
Still, the contrast is glaring. While Barcelona surge, Madrid stumble through one of their worst starts in recent memory, already six points behind and searching for rhythm.
Faith in Madrid’s response
For all the admiration he showed Barcelona, Figo did not sound like a man ready to bury Real Madrid. The club he joined in the summer of 2000, in one of the most explosive transfers in football history, still has his trust.
“I am sure Real Madrid will compete until the end,” he insisted.
This was not blind loyalty. It was a reminder of what a title race demands.
“This is a competition that requires consistency until the month of May. There will be ups and downs during the season, and when they happen the team must show the maturity and quality to overcome them.”
The message was clear: Madrid cannot match Barcelona’s start, but they can still match their endurance. The league, in Figo’s eyes, will be decided not by this early burst, but by who survives the inevitable crashes to come.
Silent on the derby and Mourinho’s fire
Madrid’s latest crash came in the capital derby, a 2-0 defeat to Atletico that deepened the sense of unease. Figo, though, watched it from a distance — literally.
He revealed he had not seen the game because he was in Zurich, and with that, he neatly sidestepped the tactical and emotional inquest that followed.
He also refused to be dragged into the latest controversy surrounding his compatriot Jose Mourinho, who had launched into the refereeing in his post-match comments.
“He did what he thought he would do at that moment. I do not have to comment on it. I think these are personal acts, and if he did it, it was because he felt that way,” Figo said.
No defence. No criticism. Just a cold line drawn. Mourinho owns his words; Figo wants no part of them.
Ballon d’Or distance, Mbappé admiration
When the conversation shifted to the Ballon d’Or, Figo stepped away from the debate. The voting closes next Monday, but the 2000 winner made it clear he holds no sway in this edition.
“I do not vote, so this is not on my mind. Those who make the decision are the ones who vote and we have to wait,” he said.
He did, however, reserve one last nod of approval for Kylian Mbappé, a player who hovers constantly around both the Ballon d’Or discussion and Madrid’s long-term dreams.
“He is always at a very high level. He has got us used to being one of the best players in the world and to scoring goals.”
A final thought that felt less like a compliment and more like a reminder. Barcelona are running away early, Mbappé continues to dominate, and Real Madrid — for now — are chasing shadows.
If this gap grows, the question will not be whether Madrid can compete until May, but whether they will still have a title to chase by the time spring arrives.
