Kylian Mbappé Embraces Mourinho’s Vision at Real Madrid
Kylian Mbappé walked off with the match ball and the headlines after his hat-trick against Real Sociedad, but the bigger story at Real Madrid is unfolding a little deeper than the scoresheet.
Behind the goals, something Mourinho has pushed since day one is starting to take root: at this club, individual glory only really counts if the whole team is pulling in the same direction.
Mbappé buys into Mourinho’s idea
Nobody at the Bernabéu needs to remind Mbappé what to do in front of goal. He lives there. His three strikes in the 4-1 win were another cold, clinical reminder of why Madrid fought so hard to bring him in.
But this time, it is the mood around him that is drawing almost as much attention as the finishing.
According to AS, old disputes inside the dressing room have been pushed to the background. The first two competitive games under José Mourinho have shown a squad that looks more aligned, more willing to work for each other, and that harmony has handed the Portuguese coach exactly what he wanted: a base to build from.
Unity has been Mourinho’s obsession with this group. Real Madrid are overflowing with individual talent, but he knows that on its own, that only takes a team to a certain level. The season ahead is packed with major competitions and high-pressure nights; when the calendar tightens and the legs get heavy, stars have to run for one another, not just for themselves.
Mbappé seems to have understood that clearly. For most of his career, he has been judged almost exclusively by his numbers. Goals, assists, records. They still matter – they always will for a striker – but the game’s biggest individual prizes are rarely detached from what the team wins.
The equation is simple: Mbappé’s goals can drive Real Madrid towards trophies. Real Madrid’s trophies can push Mbappé towards the awards he craves.
A hat-trick with perfect timing
That is why this hat-trick against Real Sociedad lands with extra weight.
The 2026 Ballon d’Or winner will be announced on October 27, and France Football is expected to unveil its 30-man shortlist in the coming days. There is no fixed formula for the award, no official checklist that decides who lifts it, and the debate around this year’s contenders is still wide open.
What is clear is that this season’s major storylines will shape the vote. Spain’s World Cup triumph has thrust their leading players into the spotlight. Paris Saint-Germain’s continued Champions League runs have also boosted the profiles of several of their stars.
Mbappé refuses to drift out of that conversation. Performances like this, in a Real Madrid shirt, keep his name right at the centre of it.
Madrid and Mbappé, locked together
Strip everything back and the Ballon d’Or remains an individual trophy. But Mbappé’s most convincing case will not be built on solo highlight reels alone. It will rest on what this Real Madrid side achieves with him at the heart of it.
That is why the early sense of togetherness matters so much.
Two games do not erase every doubt or every question around this squad. They do, though, hint at a group ready to listen. Mourinho appears to have found players willing to buy into his message, and Mbappé has started the campaign at full throttle.
If that pact between superstar and squad holds, this season will not just be about how many goals Mbappé scores – it will be about how far those goals carry Real Madrid.
