José Mourinho was back in the home dugout at the Santiago Bernabéu on Wednesday night for the first time since his return to Real Madrid, and by full time he had a one-line answer ready for anyone hoping to pull him into a Cristiano Ronaldo debate.
"Ronaldo? What Mbappé does is simply amazing," Mourinho said in his post-match press conference, according to ONE, sidestepping a direct comparison while making his admiration for the Frenchman unmistakable.
The context was a man-of-the-match hat-trick from Kylian Mbappé as Real Madrid beat Real Sociedad 4-1 in Mourinho's first home league game since taking charge again in June. ESPN reported that Mbappé's second-half burst "silenced Bernabéu jeers" after a nervy opening period under the new coaching staff.
Mourinho had been asked whether Mbappé's start to the season stood comparison with the numbers Ronaldo and Lionel Messi produced during his first spell in charge between 2010 and 2013 — a period in which Ronaldo scored 50 La Liga goals in a single campaign. Rather than engage with the numbers, Mourinho said he would rather have "40 goals and trophies" than a pure scoring record.
In a separate quote carried by ONE from the same press conference, Mourinho called Mbappé's overall performance "simply crazy," praising the forward's ability to drop deep, combine with Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham, and still arrive in the box to finish.
Spanish agency quotes picked up by Infobae had Mourinho going further, saying he sees Mbappé "hungry to make history at Real Madrid" — a pointed remark given the club's trophyless run over the past two seasons that prompted the Portuguese coach's rehiring in the first place.
Mourinho's second spell began with a three-year contract through 2029, and Wednesday's win moved Madrid through the opening weeks of the campaign following a preseason dominated by the reigning World Cup champions' celebrations — Spain, whose squad included new Real Madrid signing Marc Cucurella, lifted the trophy this summer.
For Mbappé, who joined Real Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain in 2024, a hat-trick under a manager known for demanding results immediately puts early pressure on comparisons with Ronaldo's legendary Bernabéu career — comparisons Mourinho, for now, is declining to make himself.
