The 2026/27 season has barely begun and Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe is already on top of La Liga's goalscoring charts ahead of the visit of promoted side Malaga on Sunday.
The French forward hit a hat-trick as Jose Mourinho's team steamrollered Real Sociedad on Wednesday, securing a second league win from two matches this season.
Mbappe, who won the league's top scorer trophy in both of his two prior seasons at the club, will be licking his lips ready for more with Malaga visiting the Santiago Bernabeu.
However, despite his superbly taken treble, Mourinho said goals are not enough for the forward, who he described as "incredible".
"I prefer 40 (goals) with titles than 60 without titles," Mourinho told reporters.
"I prefer 40 with a lot of work for the team than 60 just playing for himself, as often happens with forwards."
That was not a criticism of Mbappe this season but instead an encouragement for the Frenchman to maintain the level he has shown so far in terms of work-rate.
"I'm very happy with him," continued Mourinho. "From a technical standpoint, there's obviously nothing to say, but in terms of helping the group grow, taking responsibility, working...
"He arrived two days early, and two days early in that pre-season period can mean something positive."
Getting more out of Mbappe, beyond the slew of goals he is guaranteed to provide, may be the key to unlocking a team which boasts great quality and potential but has failed to win a major trophy in the last two seasons.
- New history to create -
"I'm really happy that he made history in the World Cup because there are 25 world champion players, but only one is eternal in football -- the player who has the most goals in the World Cup," said Mourinho, referring to Mbappe's exploits with France this summer.
The 27-year-old won the Golden Boot at the World Cup by notching 10 goals, meaning he has netted 22 at the tournament in his career, keeping him one above Lionel Messi, with both players surpassing Miroslav Klose's previous record of 16.
"I see him really hungry to make history with Real Madrid," continued Mourinho.
Since Mbappe joined Real Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain in 2024, he has watched his former side go on to win the Champions League twice, while Los Blancos' rivals Barcelona have claimed both La Liga titles in that time.
Madrid failed to win a single trophy last season and Mbappe's only silverware with the club is the 2024 UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Intercontinental Cup, despite scoring 86 goals in just 103 appearances for the club in his first two campaigns.
"This year, we have to win, that's what we all want, and that's what we're going to do," said a determined Mbappe on Real Madrid TV at the start of the season.
The way to do that, Mourinho believes, is through teamwork.
"I always say that with these players, you have to teach them to play as a team and teach them very little from an individual perspective," added the veteran Portuguese coach.
Mourinho, 63, may have the aura and steel needed to bring the club's biggest stars together and get them pulling in the same direction, despite his own struggles in recent years away from Europe's biggest clubs.
During a chaotic 2025/26 campaign it did not always feel like that was the case at Madrid, as Xabi Alonso and then Alvaro Arbeloa came and went, Mbappe's goals alone unable to keep them afloat.
Malaga will provide another opportunity for Mbappe to add to his ever-growing numbers on Sunday, but Mourinho will be looking for more than another hat-trick.
