WARSAW: Kylian Mbappe struck on his Real Madrid debut to help his new side claim a record sixth UEFA Super Cup with a 2-0 win over Atalanta on Wednesday in Warsaw.
The superstar French forward has waited years to play for his dream club and after finally signing for Los Blancos this summer at the end of his Paris Saint-Germain deal, celebrated his first appearance with a goal.
Fede Valverde broke the deadlock from close range for the Champions League holders in the 59th minute after the Italian Europa League winners held their own in the first half.
Madrid began to rack up the chances and Mbappe rifled home in the 68th minute after Jude Bellingham spotted his dart into space in the box to seal the victory.
Madrid’s triumph ensured coach Carlo Ancelotti equalled former Los Blancos coach Miguel Munoz on a joint-record 14 titles won at the helm of the club.
The Italian’s first task this season is designing a system that can get the best out of his array of attacking stars.
Mbappe began through the middle of Madrid’s forward line, flanked by Vinicius Junior on the left and Rodrygo Goes on the right, in the first look at how he might fit into Ancelotti’s plans this season.
As a result England international Bellingham played as part of the midfield trio rather than in the advanced position he began last season in to such devastating goalscoring effect.
Mbappe’s only chance in a tight first half arrived in the 15th minute but his shot from the middle of the box was well blocked by Isak Hien.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta, appearing in their first Super Cup after stunning Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final last season, came close to taking the lead when Eder Militao headed Marten de Roon’s cross ahead his own bar.
Bellingham was booked for a late challenge on Atalanta goalkeeper Juan Musso on a foray forward from midfield after taking a heavy touch to control a clever ball from Vinicius.
Rodrygo clipped the top of Atalanta’s crossbar just before the break after being teed up by Vinicius.
Madrid stopper Thibaut Courtois, who missed most of last season injured, produced a stunning one-handed save to tip over a Mario Pasalic header at the start of the second half.
Madrid broke the deadlock before the hour mark through Valverde, tapping home from close range while Atalanta’s defense worried about Mbappe, who was moving with more freedom.
Bellingham, increasingly influential, fed Vinicius, who cut the ball across goal for the Uruguayan midfielder to tap home.
Vinicius should have doubled Madrid’s lead when sent through on goal but Musso tipped over his effort.
Swedish defender Hien blocked from Bellingham as Madrid sought a second and then Musso thwarted the former Borussia Dortmund man.
Mbappe eventually delivered it with a lethal finish after Bellingham kept an attack alive and spotted the Frenchman’s clever movement.
The striker was given an ovation by Madrid’s fans after Ancelotti brought him off in the 83rd minute, likely the first of many to follow.
Mbappe strikes on debut as Madrid beat Atalanta in UEFA Super Cup
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Mbappe strikes on debut as Madrid beat Atalanta in UEFA Super Cup
- Madrid’s triumph ensured coach Carlo Ancelotti equalled former Los Blancos coach Miguel Munoz on a joint-record 14 titles won at the helm of the club
Lowry and Elvira share halfway lead at Dubai Invitational
- Irishman Lowry began the day 3 shots behind Grand Slam champion Rory McIlroy before finishing with 68
DUBAI: Shane Lowry and Nacho Elvira both produced brilliant rounds of 68 in windy conditions to earn a two-shot lead at the 2026 Dubai Invitational.
The Irishman began the day three shots behind good friend and Grand Slam champion Rory McIlroy, but some stunning iron play and clutch putting saw him overhaul his playing partner.
Lowry is aiming to secure his first DP World Tour title since winning the 2022 BMW PGA Championship and he showcased his quality with five birdies and two bogeys.
Spaniard Elvira surged into contention thanks to four birdies in his final six holes for a matching 68 — the best rounds of the day — to set the clubhouse target of five under.
Having been joined at the summit of the leaderboard earlier in the day, McIlroy regained his one-shot advantage when he birdied the third to reach six under.
That lead was briefly extended to two when Antoine Rozner’s early birdie burst was offset by a double bogey, but McIlroy dropped a shot at the sixth.
A skewed chip left a difficult par putt for McIlroy to save par at the ninth and when it slid by, he was in a two-way tie for the lead at four under.
In the group ahead, Lawrence carded back-to-back birdies at the fourth and fifth — the latter with a sumptuous hole-out from the bunker — to join that mark.
Lowry opened with birdie-birdie for the second day running and despite a bogey at the fifth, he picked up the shot at the very next hole. A bogey at the ninth saw him slip back one, but he responded immediately with a lovely birdie putt at the 10th to rejoin the lead.
None of the trio could jump ahead on their own as they reached the turn, which saw Armitage increase the leadership group to four.
The Englishman, who started on the back nine, mixed two birdies and two bogeys during his front nine and then picked up shots at the second and fourth to reach the summit.
However, by the time McIlroy and Lowry finished the 14th hole, the latter was in the sole lead.
Lawrence had bogeyed the same par-three hole, Armitage dropped a shot at the ninth — his last — and McIlroy found the water at the 14th as the trio slipped back to three under.
That left Lowry on his own at the top. He was briefly joined by Elvira and McIlroy when the latter rolled in a 46-foot putt at the 16th for birdie, but Lowry followed suit from 31 feet to maintain his one-shot lead at five under.
McIlroy found the water for the fourth time at the 17th as he finished with back-to-back bogeys to sit three behind the joint leaders.
“Very happy (with the round),” said Lowry. “It was hard. It was tricky. You know, like that putt on the last hole, you don’t hole a lot of putts like that, and I did well. I did a good job. A couple sloppy mistakes on the front nine, but I was playing good and giving myself chances.
“I just had a great day out there. I really enjoyed it. I had a great group. Two great amateurs, and playing golf in a good frame of mind makes it a little bit easier. That’s sort of a little lesson for me for the rest season. If I play golf like that for the rest season in that frame of mind, I’ll be pretty good.”
Elvira had carded three bogeys and two birdies during his first 12 holes, but his birdie blitz to complete his second round propelled into the share of the lead with Lowry.
“I feel like off the tee I hit it really well,” said Elvira. “That’s something I struggled with in the past, and we made a couple changes, and I think it’s paying off. So, I’m very happy with the way I’m hitting it off the tee. It’s putting me in good positions to take advantage.”
Armitage and Spain’s David Puig were tied for third at three under, while McIlroy, Lawrence, Rozner and Spain’s Angel Ayora were one shot further back at two under.
American Ryggs Johnston recorded the first hole-in-one of 2026 when he aced the 218-yard par-three eighth with a six iron.
In the team competition, Jimmy Dunne, who was paired with Lowry, leads the way on 12 under, one stroke ahead of Greg Mondre and Dante Jimenez.
