Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho hailed Kylian Mbappe amid Cristiano Ronaldo comparisons as he commended the Frenchman for his desire to etch his name in Los Blancos history.
Mbappe, 27, scored his first hat-trick of the season as Mourinho’s side thumped Real Sociedad 4-1 at home on Wednesday (August 26). The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner broke the deadlock in the 40th minute before Luka Sucic equalised for Sociedad four minutes later.
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Kylian Mbappe restored his team’s lead at the hour mark before Vinicius Junior also got in on the act eight minutes later. Ten minutes from time, Mbappe completed his hat-trick, earning praise from Mourinho for his desire to create Los Blancos history (as per AS):
“I don’t like to compare players, but this guy (Mbappe) is incredible. I’m really happy he made history at the World Cup because there are 25 World Cup-winning players, but only one is for the eternity of football, the one with the most goals, the one who made that history. He’s very hungry to make history with Real Madrid.
About his expectations from an ideal striker in his team, Mourinho added:
“Kylian is an incredible player, absolutely incredible. Whether he scores 50 or 60, well, I don’t know. I prefer 40 with a lot of hard work for the team and titles, than 60 just looking out for himself.
“I’m very happy with him; the group is helping the team grow. He arrived two days before his vacation ended, and that’s a positive. I left him on the pitch for 90 minutes to see if he could score four. I took Vini off when he scored.”
Los Blancos are atop the standings, having won their opening two La Liga games.
How Kylian Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo’s numbers compare after two seasons at Real Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo is Real Madrid‘s all-time top scorer, with 450 goals in 438 games across competitions in nine seasons, arriving at the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of 2009 from Manchester United.
After his first two seasons with the Whites, Ronaldo tallied 86 goals, including 53 in his sophomore campaign in 2010-11. Interestingly, Mbappe also has the exact number after his first two seasons with Los Blancos, including a 42-goal 2025-26 campaign.
In terms of major silverware, both Ronaldo and Mbappe didn’t win the La Liga or UEFA Champions League title in their first two seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Edited by Bhargav