Mbappe and Vinicius challenge Mourinho’s Real Madrid rebuild

Real Madrid’s failure to establish a successful partnership between Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior has become Jose Mourinho’s biggest problem since returning for a second spell at the Santiago Bernabeu.

More than two years ago, Real Madrid appeared to be at the summit of world football. They had won a record-extending 15th Champions League title and, after years of failed attempts, signed Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent.

Adding one of the world’s best players to Europe’s strongest side seemed to guarantee continued success. Vinicius Junior was then among the leading candidates for the Ballon d’Or, before Manchester City midfielder Rodri won the award in a decision that angered Real Madrid. Jude Bellingham had also enjoyed an exceptional first season, scoring 23 goals after becoming the club’s most expensive signing.

Instead, Real Madrid have won no major trophy in the past two seasons, changed managers four times and called an early presidential election in June. The club has often blamed refereeing decisions, while concerns have also grown over a lack of intensity, the absence of a creative midfielder following Toni Kroos’ departure in 2024 and Luka Modric’s in 2025, and the failure of the star players to blend.

No issue has exposed those problems more clearly than the relationship between Mbappe and Vinicius Junior. “It’s a problem of football and ego, but primarily it’s a football problem,” said one source who has regularly been at the Valdebebas training centre. A former member of Real Madrid’s coaching staff added: “The problem will not be solved until one of the players leaves, either Vinicius or Mbappe.”

Real Madrid are six points behind Barcelona in La Liga, with the first Clasico of the season scheduled for 25 October. Mourinho inherited a dressing room in turmoil, culminating last season in a confrontation between Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni.

The 1-2 defeat by Atletico de Madrid at the Metropolitano before a three-week international break prompted speculation in Spain that tensions had returned. However, several sources close to Mourinho and the squad rejected those reports, saying morale and relationships were better than last season, although poor results could still damage the atmosphere.

“Mourinho has focused during the break on defending better and becoming more effective in attack, looking for internal and tactical solutions,” said a source close to the manager.

A partnership still out of balance

Mbappe and Vinicius Junior both failed to score against Atletico. Mbappe has eight goals and two assists in Real Madrid’s eight matches so far, but did not score in either defeat and missed a penalty in the other loss, against Real Betis. Vinicius has one goal and three assists in eight games, a decline that concerns the club.

People close to Mourinho say he has not seriously considered dropping the Brazilian, despite Spanish media reports suggesting otherwise. Social media speculation even linked Vinicius’ recent chin surgery to his form, although there is no evidence for that claim. Real Madrid and the player’s representatives did not respond to The Athletic’s questions.

The 26-year-old had been finishing chances well at the end of last season but has been less effective at the start of this campaign. Mbappe, meanwhile, was criticised after photographs showed him riding a bicycle in Switzerland while recovering from a knee injury. Mourinho had previously said he preferred players not to cycle in their spare time, but regarded the ride as safe and low-risk.

At Friday’s news conference, Mourinho called the debate “ridiculous”, blamed the media for creating the issue and confirmed that the France captain would start against Villarreal today. It was not the first time Mbappe’s travel during injury recovery had caused concern: his trip to Italy with his partner in May, after a hamstring injury, was viewed negatively by some at Valdebebas.

On the pitch, both players appear most comfortable attacking from the left. Their movement maps from the derby showed them repeatedly occupying the same areas, while The Athletic’s passing map from the match indicated a similar lack of structure. Mourinho is working to make them use different spaces on counter-attacks.

Since the 2023-24 season, touch maps from open play in La Liga have shown the same preference, although Mbappe joined Real Madrid the following season. One former coach believes that may ultimately require one player to leave. Another said: “Either there is a structural change, or the two players will be unable to develop.”

He added: “The team has many players capable of creating, but it is impossible to maintain defensive balance when only eight players defend, given Mbappe and Vinicius Junior’s limited defensive contribution. Attacking organisation also becomes extremely difficult when your best players are always trying to accelerate the game and move into the same spaces.”

Mourinho has switched from the 4-4-2 used in recent years to a compact 4-2-3-1. That system limits the defensive demands on his two forwards, asking them mainly to protect spaces and retain the team’s shape.

“Mourinho’s idea is to find tactical balance, so both players contribute defensively without exhausting themselves and can remain sharp and effective in the final third,” said a source familiar with his thinking.

Carlo Ancelotti, Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa all tried different approaches without finding the answer. Ancelotti used Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Bellingham and Rodrygo in a star-studded attack. Alonso made Mbappe the leading figure in his project and clashed with Vinicius and Bellingham. Arbeloa attempted to restore the confidence of Vinicius and Bellingham, but lost Mbappe in the process.

All sources agree that Mbappe and Vinicius have a good relationship away from football. “They get along, but they do not fit together on the pitch,” said one person at Valdebebas.

A source close to both players said: “It does not mean they dislike each other or hate each other.” But the same source added: “They compare themselves with each other in everything. If one does not defend, the other will not defend either.”

Vinicius may also resent Real Madrid’s extensive support for Mbappe’s Ballon d’Or campaign. “They have noticed it in the dressing room and talked about it,” the source said. “They believe the award will go to Mbappe. Real Madrid are doing an enormous amount to support him.”

Mourinho and his staff regard both forwards as match-winners, which explains why they usually keep them on the pitch for as long as possible. His success may depend on solving a problem that none of his recent predecessors managed to resolve.