Kylian Mbappé addresses Ballon d'Or hopes and tactics before Inter Milan clash

Champions League opener at the Bernabéu

Real Madrid will open the 2026-27 Champions League league phase on Tuesday, 8 September 2026, hosting Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabéu at 21:00 CEST. The fixture begins a European campaign whose final will be staged at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid. The Spanish club enters the match following its first defeat of the season, a 1-0 domestic league loss away to Real Betis on Friday, 4 September. Real Madrid manager José Mourinho and striker Kylian Mbappé attended the pre-match press conference on Monday to discuss the team's preparation. Mbappé, who has scored four goals in the opening phase of the club season, accepted responsibility for the missed chances in Seville while affirming the squad's readiness for European competition.

Ballon d'Or candidacy and World Cup scoring

Addressing questions about individual honours, the 27-year-old France captain acknowledged that playing for Real Madrid leads to expectations around the Ballon d'Or. Mbappé scored 10 goals at the World Cup tournament in the summer of 2026 to win the Golden Boot, taking his career tally to 22 goals in the tournament as the all-time top scorer. France finished fourth at the event after losing to Spain, and Mbappé has not yet won the Ballon d'Or in his career. He stated that his international scoring record strengthens his position for the prize, while noting that the outcome rests with the journalists who cast ballots.

I think that when you play for Real Madrid, which is the best club in the world, naturally people associate you with that kind of award, they associate you with collective awards, individual awards.

Defensive work rate and tactical debates

Mbappé also responded to scrutiny over his and Vinicius Junior's defensive contribution following Madrid's loss to Real Betis. Media questions compared their defensive tracking to that of Ousmane Dembélé at Paris Saint-Germain and Raphinha at Barcelona. Mbappé pushed back against the comparison, noting that different players carry distinct responsibilities on the pitch. He maintained that defensive improvements must involve all eleven players controlling the ball more effectively rather than focusing solely on individual forwards.

We have to improve. But I could play dumb and tell you that I score more goals than them, and that they need to score more goals to be like me.

Squad cohesion, Mourinho, and silverware ambitions

The forward dismissed reports of tension between himself and Brazilian teammate Vinicius Junior, stating that external commentary does not influence the dressing room. Real Madrid has not won a trophy since Mbappé joined the club from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2024, while PSG won the Champions League in both subsequent seasons. Mbappé stated that he does not care about PSG's European titles, remarking that media interest in his name drives press coverage. He praised Mourinho's ability to motivate the entire club toward a shared objective and addressed the coach's preference for collective effort over scoring totals. Mbappé noted that achieving 30 goals while competing for trophies represents a realistic combination rather than a contradictory choice.