Figo Warns La Liga Title Could Be Decided Early

Real Madrid are stumbling through one of their bleakest openings to a league campaign in recent memory. Six points off the summit already, under pressure, and now confronted with a blunt verdict from one of their own icons.

Luis Figo, the man whose move from Barcelona to Real Madrid once redefined the Clasico rivalry, has looked across the divide and admitted what many in Madrid do not want to hear: Barcelona look irresistible.

The numbers are brutal. Seven games, seven wins. Twenty-one points from 21. Thirty-one goals scored. While Madrid search for rhythm, Barça are tearing through opponents.

Speaking to Spanish radio station “Marca”, the former Ballon d'Or winner and current UEFA adviser did not sugar-coat it.

“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, acknowledging the quality of Real Madrid’s fiercest rivals.

Then came the warning. If this level holds, he suggested, La Liga might be decided long before spring has even turned into summer. A chilling thought for a club built on comebacks and last-day drama.

“Real Madrid will compete until the end”

Figo’s admiration for Barcelona’s start did not come with any hint of surrender. The man who walked into the Bernabéu in 2000 at the height of the Galactico era still believes in the club’s enduring competitive edge.

“I am sure Real Madrid will compete until the end,” he insisted.

He stressed that the title is rarely won in autumn. “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.”

It was a reminder: seasons are marathons, not sprints. Barcelona may be flying now, but Figo expects Madrid to drag themselves back into the fight.

Even so, the current reality bites. The latest setback, a 2-0 defeat in the derby against Atletico Madrid on Sunday, has deepened the sense of unease around the club.

Figo, though, watched it from afar.

Distance from the derby, and from Mourinho’s fire

The Portuguese great revealed he did not see the loss to Atletico live, as he was in Zurich at the time. That distance extended to the fallout as well.

Jose Mourinho’s fiery remarks about the refereeing dominated the post-match conversation, but Figo refused to be drawn into that storm.

“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,” he said coolly.

No defence. No criticism. Just a clear line: Mourinho acts on his own instincts, and Figo has no interest in stepping into that arena.

Ballon d'Or? “Not on my mind” – but praise for Mbappé

With the Ballon d'Or vote closing next Monday, Figo was also asked to weigh in on the game’s most prestigious individual prize. He stepped away from that debate just as firmly.

“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, refusing to tip any favourite.

One name, though, did draw admiration: Kylian Mbappé.

“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,” Figo said, underlining the Frenchman’s relentless impact at the top of the game.

As Barcelona surge, Madrid chase, and Mbappé continues to dominate headlines and scorelines, Figo’s words hang over the season: if the current pace holds, will Real Madrid even get the chance to turn this title race into a fight?