Bellingham, Vinicius Jr and Mbappe not incompatible - Mourinho
August 21, 2026 17:17
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho said finding an ideal tactical solution to accommodate Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham together will be challenging, but insisted the three are not mutually incompatible. He voiced the desire for all three to be comfortable on the pitch as he prepares for the new season after returning to the club in June for a second spell in charge.
Mourinho echoed comments by Bellingham, who earlier acknowledged it can be difficult to be at his best when all three stars share the same side, and said replicating the roles they occupied for their countries at the World Cup will be harder to achieve at Madrid.
KEY CONTEXT
- Last season at Real was affected by fan unrest and reports of internal conflict, increasing the pressure on Mourinho’s first season back.
- At the World Cup, Mourinho judged Mbappé, Vinícius and Bellingham to have played in “perfect” roles for their national teams.
- Mbappé scored 42 goals in all competitions for Real last season; Vinícius scored 22. Mbappé also returned from the World Cup with 10 goals for France.
- Madrid’s attacking play became highly fluid last season, with Bellingham often dropping deeper to help balance the side; he then managed eight goals and five assists in 40 games for the club, down from 23 goals and 13 assists in his first Madrid season.
- England manager Thomas Tuchel used Bellingham mainly as a number 10 at the World Cup, with Bellingham operating in an advanced role for 71% of his minutes there versus 28% in La Liga last season.
- Madrid have added 19-year-old Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig; Diomande completed 118 dribbles across Europe’s top five leagues last season (only Lamine Yamal had more) and won possession in the opposition final third 27 times—figures bettered by only nine players in those leagues.
WHY IT MATTERS
How Mourinho configures his attack will affect Real’s ability to challenge domestically: the club need all their top players firing to try to reclaim La Liga from Barcelona, who have won the past two titles. The trio’s individual goal outputs suggest scoring is unlikely to be the main problem, but last season’s positional overlap and Bellingham’s deeper deployment reduced his direct attacking influence—issues Mourinho must address to maximise the group’s collective impact. The arrival of a dynamic wide option in Diomande adds attacking depth but also another selection question.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
- Which starting positions and tactical adjustments Mourinho chooses to try to keep Mbappé, Vinícius and Bellingham on the pitch together.
- Whether clearer separation between Mbappé and Vinícius will allow Bellingham to occupy a more advanced role similar to his World Cup deployment.
- How quickly Diomande is integrated and whether his profile helps solve spacing and one-on-one attacking issues.
- Early-season team selections and performances, beginning with the La Liga opener mentioned by Mourinho, will indicate how these questions are being approached.
KEY FACTS
- Mourinho returned to Real Madrid in June for a second spell as manager.
- Mbappé scored 42 goals in all competitions for Real last season; Vinícius scored 22.
- Bellingham had eight goals and five assists in 40 Madrid appearances last season; he had 23 goals and 13 assists in his first season at the club.
- At the World Cup, Bellingham operated in an advanced role for 71% of his minutes and scored seven goals in eight appearances for England.
- Yan Diomande completed 118 dribbles in Europe’s top five leagues last season and won possession in the opposition final third 27 times.