Mbappe backs Mourinho to end Real Madrid's trophy drought

Kylian Mbappe has declared that Jose Mourinho's return to the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu will bring silverware back to Real Madrid, insisting the whole squad is "delighted" with the Portuguese's appointment.

After returning to training following France's World Cup run, Mbappe told Marca that Mourinho's winning pedigree is exactly what Los Blancos need as they look to snap a worrying barren streak.

A reunion 13 years in the making

Mourinho is back at the helm in the Spanish capital for the first time in 13 years, having previously coached Madrid from 2010 to 2013. During that first spell, he delivered LaLiga, the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de Espana, with Madrid's 2011-12 league triumph coming with a record 100 points — a feat only matched in LaLiga history by the great Barcelona side of 2012-13.

The club has backed Mourinho heavily in the transfer market, with Yan Diomande, Marc Cucurella, Carlos Espi, Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate and Bernardo Silva all arriving during the current window.

Pressure to deliver

Madrid open their LaLiga campaign away to Espanyol on August 22, and the pressure is on after the club failed to win LaLiga, the Copa del Rey or the Champions League in back-to-back seasons. The last time Madrid went three successive campaigns without any of those three trophies was between 2003-04 and 2005-06.

"I think it's very positive to have a coach like Mourinho, who knows how to win, who knows how to give directions for us to do that. Every player is delighted to have a coach who knows where he is going. It is very positive for us," Mbappe told Marca.

Mbappe also revealed the pair have already built a strong relationship: "We spoke a lot during the World Cup, and [the staff] have spoken to me since then, even if I have only been here for a few days."

Golden Boot ambition

Mourinho can call upon a genuine scoring machine in Mbappe, who has led LaLiga's goalscoring charts in each of the last two seasons — netting 31 times in 2024-25 and 25 times in 2025-26. Only seven players have ever won LaLiga's Golden Boot in three straight seasons, and only Lionel Messi has done so this century (five straight from 2016-17 to 2020-21).

The France captain, however, insists individual honours come second to collective success, and he is embracing the expectation at the Bernabeu.

"For me, it was a dream to come here. I know how to enjoy the present and I know how lucky I am. But here, we have to win titles. It's time to prepare properly and feel ready for the first game. I'm sure that we're going to win titles again, that's what we want and it's going to happen. I feel a team that wants to do that. We're going to be focused all year round, to bring joy to all Madridistas."

With a rejuvenated squad, a proven winner in the dugout and Mbappe firing on all cylinders, Madrid's season of redemption begins in earnest on August 22.