Jose Mourinho, returning as Real Madrid coach in June 2026, said Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Jude Bellingham are "incredible players" who want to play alongside other top stars and are not incompatible despite tactical challenges [1, 2, 3, 4]. "It's harder to find the perfect role for all three," Mourinho said, "but I have a lot of confidence that we'll do well when all three play together. I don't think they're incompatible at all" [4].
All three players played in ideal positions for their national teams during the recent World Cup. While Carlo Ancelotti found a perfect setup for Vinicius with Brazil, Didier Deschamps optimized Mbappe's role for France, and Thomas Tuchel set up Bellingham effectively for England [1, 2, 4]. Bellingham noted the fluidity shared by the trio can sometimes cause minor disorganization but praised their trust in each other's ability [2].
Mourinho emphasized the importance of defending as a full team, saying, "We have to defend with 11 players. If a team is pushing us back and giving us problems in our final third, we all have to defend" [3]. This defensive discipline will be key to integrating the attacking talent.
Since Mbappe joined Real Madrid in summer 2024 after the club’s 2024 Champions League victory featuring key contributions from Bellingham and Vinicius, the club has not won a major trophy. Mourinho, age 63, took charge with an aim to forge harmony and success among the squad [1, 3, 4].
Last season saw dressing-room tensions, including a row between midfielders Tchouaméni and Valverde. Mourinho said he chose to "start from zero" on squad relationships and has observed no recent problems between them [4]. Despite missing out on signing midfielder Rodri, who joined Barcelona, Mourinho does not see a midfield deficit at Madrid [4].
Real Madrid open their 2026-27 La Liga campaign away at Espanyol on August 22, marking Mourinho’s first competitive match since his return [1, 2, 4]. The coach expects the trio of Mbappe, Vinicius, and Bellingham to feel comfortable playing together and anticipates a strong season ahead [1, 2, 3, 4].
