Kylian Mbappe has been back at Valdebebas for a matter of days, the miles of a World Cup summer still in his legs, and he has already set the temperature for Real Madrid’s season. Speaking to Real Madrid TV after completing his session, the Frenchman skipped the usual pre-season language about processes and patience. He talked about winning trophies — and he did it with the flat certainty of a man who thinks the squad around him has been built to do exactly that.
It is a pointed message. Los Blancos finished last season without a trophy for the first time since 2020-21, and the man charged with putting that right is Jose Mourinho, appointed in June on a contract that runs to 2029. With Real Madrid opening LaLiga away at Espanyol on 22 August, Mbappe’s words are the clearest read yet on how this dressing room has taken to its new manager.
Mbappe on Mourinho: ‘A coach who knows how to win’
The most revealing part of the interview was not the promise but the relationship behind it. Mbappe disclosed that he and Mourinho had been in regular contact while he was away with France, long before the pair shared a training pitch.
“Mourinho and I talked a lot during the World Cup, and he talked to me a lot. I arrived a few days ago, and I think it’s very positive to have a coach like that, who knows how to win and knows how to give the direction on how to win. I think every player is delighted to have a coach who knows where he’s going, and that’s positive for us.”
That chimes with the mood elsewhere in the squad this summer — Jude Bellingham called it a dream to work with Mourinho when he reported back — and it matters for a manager whose second spell at the Bernabeu will be judged on whether he gets the best out of this forward line rather than simply organises around it.
Building towards the opener
Mbappe was careful to frame his own condition honestly. He is loading up now, before the fixture list takes that choice away from him, with the final pre-season friendly at Schalke on Sunday the last chance to sharpen up in front of a crowd.
“I’m trying to give my all because now is the time when we can work the most. Later, when the matches start, we have to manage the workload more. It’s time to go all out and get a feel for things so I’m ready for the first league match.”
There was warmth, too, in how he described walking back through the door: “I’m very happy to be back and to have my first impressions of the team, the new staff, all my teammates, and everyone here at Valdebebas,” he said, as transcribed by Managing Madrid. “It’s always good to be back here to play and to prepare for the season.”
The promise to the Madridistas
Then came the line that will follow him all season. Asked about Real Madrid’s objectives, Mbappe did not hesitate, and as Madrid Universal noted, he framed it as a collective obligation rather than a personal target.
“We have to win. I’m sure we’re going to win titles again this year. That’s what we want, and that’s what’s going to happen. I feel the team is eager, and we’re going to be focused all year to bring joy to all Madrid fans. There’s nothing more important than winning titles with the team, feeling that joy, and bringing joy to the fans.”
Two seasons into his Madrid life, Mbappe has learned the tariff at this club: nothing is banked, and everything is measured in silverware. Saying it out loud eight days before kick-off is not bravado so much as an acceptance of the terms. A trip to Espanyol will tell us very little about whether he is right. A season under Mourinho, with this forward line and that promise hanging over it, will tell us everything.
