Mbappé returns to Madrid with a clear message: this is the year to win titles

Back at Valdebebas with the 2026 World Cup already behind him, Kylian Mbappé didn't waste any time getting to the point. The French forward, who returned to Real Madrid training after a tournament in which his national team finished fourth, sent a direct message to the club's fans: this year, Madrid has to win titles, full stop.

The line sounds like a promise, but it also reads like a demand. After a 2024-25 season that Madrid closed out without lifting a single major trophy, something that hadn't happened at the club in a long time, Mbappé is heading into his third campaign in the white shirt determined not to let that chapter repeat itself. And he says it with a conviction that leaves little room for doubt.

This year we're going to win titles. I'm sure we're going to do it again. That's what we want, and that's what's going to happen.Kylian Mbappé

What makes this season different is a new ingredient in the locker room: Jose Mourinho on the bench. The forward had already exchanged a few words with the Portuguese coach during the World Cup itself, and he made no secret that Mourinho's experience gives him confidence heading into what's next.

The connection with Mourinho

Mbappé was clear when describing the effect a coach with Mourinho's track record can have on a locker room that needs certainty after a trophy-less year.

We talked a lot during the World Cup. I think it's very positive to have a coach like that, someone who knows how to win and knows how to point the team in the right direction to win. The players are thrilled to have a coach who knows where he's going.Kylian Mbappé

Beyond the trophies, the Frenchman stressed something that sounds almost like a personal commitment to the fans who fill the Bernabeu match after match: bringing back the smiles for a fan base left with a bitter taste after last season.

And on that point Mbappé was even more forceful: "There's nothing more important than winning titles with the team and giving joy to the fans," he said, making clear that for him the goal isn't measured only in trophies, but in the connection with the people.

The forward also looked back on his official presentation with Madrid, which didn't come in just any match: it came in nothing less than the UEFA Super Cup final against Atalanta, where he made his debut with a goal and a title to his name. A combination he admitted he'd love to repeat in this third season.

On his adjustment to Spain, Mbappé was honest: the first two years were full of changes, the first time away from his home country, a different league, a new city. But today he feels at home. "I really like the club, the Spanish league and living in Spain," he said, noting that his personal well-being also plays a role in his performance on the field.

With the start of LaLiga drawing closer, the Frenchman knows it's now time to build up his physical conditioning before official matches start rolling in. Still, the message that resonated most was the final one: playing for Real Madrid is still a dream, but enjoying it is no longer enough. Now it's time to win.