Luis Figo on Real Madrid Pressure, Instability, and Rising Stars at Laureus Awards

MADRID, SPAIN - APRIL 20: Laureus Academy Member Luis Figo attends the Football Press Conference during Laureus World Sports Awards Madrid 2026 on April 20, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images for Laureus) | Getty Images for Laureus

Luis Figo shared his perspective on Real Madrid’s current situation and the broader football landscape while speaking at the Laureus World Sports Awards, touching on pressure, expectations, and emerging talent.

The former Real Madrid winger pointed to recent changes on the bench as a key factor behind the club’s inconsistency.

“Real Madrid has changed coaches, and that has brought instability,” Figo said. “People are always looking for someone to blame, but I’m not in the dressing room.

“Being one of the best teams in the world, if you don’t win titles in two years, alarm bells start ringing. That’s just how Madrid is; they’re used to winning,” he explained.

At the same time, he acknowledged the reality of modern football, where competition at the highest level is stronger than ever.

“But you can’t always win in football; it would be very monotonous, and there are other big teams with high aspirations,” Figo added. “At Madrid, the noise is always louder.

“The players always try to win; losing is worse. It doesn’t make sense for the dressing room to create problems when you feel so much better when you win,” he said.

Figo also spoke about individual talent across Europe, singling out Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise for praise after a standout season.