'He’s on a stratospheric level!' - Jose Mourinho blown away by Kylian Mbappe's early Real Madrid return

Mourinho has praised Mbappe after the superstar forward returned to pre-season training ahead of schedule last week. The French international joined up with the squad at Valdebebas following his summer break, eager to begin preparations for the new season.

The Portuguese manager expressed immense satisfaction at having the opportunity to observe the world-class attacker on a daily basis. Having returned to work earlier than required, the forward's immediate integration into first-team training has set a positive tone for the entire squad.

Speaking in an interview with Spanish show El Chiringuito, Mourinho was full of enthusiasm when describing the 27-year-old's extraordinary quality during training sessions.

"Mbappe is incredible," Mourinho stated. "He sometimes makes me laugh in training, because he is too good. He is on a stratospheric level."

The Portuguese tactician was particularly keen to praise Mbappe's professional attitude and willingness to cut his post-season holiday short, saying: "It’s this commitment that I want. A guy who could have resumed training on August 14 and who presented himself on the 12th. That already tells me a lot."

Mbappe's early return to training comes on the back of an outstanding individual campaign for Madrid during the 2025-26 season. The French star established himself as the focal point of the club's attack with a series of decisive performances in Liga. Over the course of the league season, the attacker featured in 31 matches and bagged an impressive tally of 25 goals.

With Mbappe having returned to the squad, Mourinho will look to harness the forward's commitment and form to build momentum ahead of the new season. The French international also recently scored in Los Blancos' 3-0 pre-season victory over Schalke. Now, they are preparing to face Espanyol away in their opening Liga match of the new season.