‘They compare themselves in everything’ – Inside the rocky partnership between Real Madrid forwards Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Jr

‘They compare themselves in everything’ – Inside the rocky partnership between Real Madrid forwards Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Jr Having returned to Real Madrid this summer, José Mourinho now faces one of the greatest challenges of the latter years of his career: getting Kylian Mbappé (27) and Vinícius Jr (26) to work together. For whilst the two superstars are seen as key figures in the Spanish club’s dressing room, their relationship has regularly been the subject of debate in recent months. However, their relationship does not seem as strained as it might appear. At least not on a strictly personal level. “It’s not that they don’t get on or hate each other, but they compare themselves in everything, and if one doesn’t defend, neither does the other,” an anonymous source told The Athletic . A matter of ego, then, which could lead Vinícius to find himself “irritated” by Real Madrid’s media campaign to secure the Ballon d’Or for Mbappé. But that is not the only issue undermining their partnership. On the pitch, their compatibility is not immediately apparent either, with both players showing a preference for playing on the left wing, ultimately getting in each other’s way. “It’s a problem of football and ego, but above all of football,” explains another source, whilst a former member of Real Madrid’s coaching staff even claims that “the problem won’t be resolved until either Vinícius or Mbappé leaves” . “Either there’s a structural change or they won’t be able to improve,” estimates another source. “There’s plenty of creative talent, but it’s impossible to be sustainable when defending with eight players (given Mbappe and Vinicius Jr’s lack of defensive output) and it’s very difficult to organise your attack when your best players are always speeding up the play and looking for the same spaces.” GFFN | Léo Aschi