Luis Figo Warns: La Liga Title Could Be Decided Early
Real Madrid have known slow starts before, but this one stings. Six points off the top, doubts swirling, and now one of the club’s most emblematic figures has stepped forward to admit what many in the Bernabéu are whispering: right now, Barcelona look untouchable.
Luis Figo, the man whose move from Barcelona to Real Madrid redefined the Clasico rivalry at the turn of the century, has broken ranks with the usual early-season diplomacy. Speaking to Spanish radio station “Marca”, the former Ballon d’Or winner and current UEFA adviser did not sugarcoat what he is seeing.
Barcelona irresistible, Madrid chasing
Barcelona have opened the campaign at full throttle: seven wins from seven, 21 points out of 21, and 31 goals scored. That is not just form. That is a 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, acknowledging the scale of Barça’s early surge.
The numbers back him up. While Real Madrid labour to find rhythm, Barcelona are tearing through opponents, combining fluid attacking play with ruthless finishing. The contrast is stark, and Figo didn’t hide from it.
His warning cut through the usual platitudes that surround the first months of the season: if this continues, La Liga may not offer much suspense.
His message was clear: at this pace, the title race might be over long before spring. “La Liga could be settled before May if this level continues,” he cautioned, a sentence that will land heavily in the Madrid dressing room.
Faith in Madrid’s response
Yet Figo is not writing off the club he joined in the summer of 2000. Far from it. Beneath the praise for Barcelona lay a firm belief that Real Madrid will not simply fade away.
“I am sure Real Madrid will compete until the end,” he insisted, leaning on his understanding of the club’s mentality and the demands of a long campaign.
“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.”
That is the tightrope Madrid now walk: acknowledging a poor start without surrendering the season. Figo’s words capture both sides — admiration for the current league leaders, and confidence that Madrid can still turn a slow burn into a title charge.
Derby defeat and Mourinho’s fury
The latest blow came in the city derby, a 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid on Sunday that deepened the sense of unease around Carlo Ancelotti’s side. Figo, however, watched it from a distance — literally.
He revealed he had not seen the match because he was in Zurich, and he steered clear of the storm that followed. Jose Mourinho’s explosive comments about the refereeing dominated the post-match narrative, but Figo refused to be dragged into that familiar controversy.
“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, drawing a clear line between his own analysis and Mourinho’s outburst.
No fireworks, no sides taken. Just a cool dismissal of the noise around the touchline while he focused on the bigger picture of Madrid’s season.
Ballon d’Or distance, Mbappé admiration
When the conversation shifted to the Ballon d’Or, Figo stepped away from the debate entirely. Voting closes next Monday, but he has no intention of playing the pundit.
“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 add his voice to the endless rankings and arguments that surround the award.
One name, though, did draw warmth from him: 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 noted, a simple but pointed tribute to a forward who continues to define the modern game.
From Barcelona’s perfect start to Madrid’s early struggles, from Mourinho’s fury to Mbappé’s relentless excellence, Figo cut through the noise with the authority of someone who has lived every side of this sport.
His verdict leaves a challenge hanging in the air over the Bernabéu: if Barcelona keep flying and Real Madrid really are “sure to compete until the end,” the response has to start now.
