Petit: Real Madrid Should Empower Bellingham and Mbappe as Leaders

2026-07-26

In a recent program, 1998 World Cup winner Emmanuel Petit expressed that Real Madrid should entrust Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe with leadership roles within the team. He highly praised Bellingham for his outstanding performance in the 2026 World Cup, asserting that the England star's determination and ambition should continue to flourish at Madrid.

Petit noted, "This is exactly what I want to see from Bellingham on the pitch. He plays like a lion, exuding exceptional leadership qualities both on and off the field." He also highlighted Bellingham's remarkable performance under immense pressure, recalling, "Just months ago, there were doubts about whether he deserved a spot in the England World Cup squad, which meant he had to prove himself."

Bellingham excelled in the World Cup, scoring seven goals and becoming the highest-scoring midfielder in a single World Cup, establishing a new record. Petit added, "If I were a Real Madrid fan, I would tell Bellingham and Mbappe: this is the level we expect to see from you. The anticipation for next season will be incredibly high."

Looking ahead, Petit predicted that Mourinho will have private discussions with these young talents to clearly articulate his expectations for them: "He will tell them to step onto the pitch and become the leaders of the team." He also praised Mbappe's performance in the World Cup, noting the French captain's renewed humility and leadership abilities.

"We saw once again the early-career Mbappe: humble, close to his teammates and coaches, and capable of leading the team on the pitch." Mbappe scored ten goals in the World Cup, earning the Golden Boot and becoming the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history. However, Petit cautioned that this will raise the expectations for him upon returning to Real Madrid.

He added, "The fans at Real Madrid have witnessed his performance for the French national team, and they expect him to lead the team both on and off the pitch like Cristiano Ronaldo and many other club legends." Finally, Petit emphasized that Mourinho must build a team reliant on collective strength rather than individual brilliance: "Real Madrid cannot always rely on moments of brilliance from Mbappe or Vinicius. The past two seasons have shown, with Spain and Paris Saint-Germain, that even with top players, the power of the collective is more important than individual contributions."