Kylian Mbappé has picked up right where he left off. The France star, already the all-time top scorer in World Cups and Spain's leading marksman across the past two seasons, showed against Real Sociedad that his eye for goal has not dimmed in the slightest.
Major titles may have eluded him, but the Frenchman refuses to give up. He made that plain in his opening matches of the season at the Santiago Bernabéu.
According to Spanish newspaper "AS", Mbappé's three goals thrust him back into the spotlight, having endured a World Cup in which Spain denied him the chance to land the knockout blow.
Fifty-eight goals came last season. He netted 42 in 44 matches for Real Madrid and added the other 16 in a France shirt, a return that earned him the Golden Boot at the World Cup.
The French star and the rest of the Real Madrid squad have grasped a simple truth: titles and individual awards only come through collective effort. Coach José Mourinho has succeeded in drilling that concept into a group that appears to have recovered the key word.
Old disputes have vanished. The bonds forged across the first two official matches say plenty, with mutual embraces on the pitch and public backing from the Portuguese coach for his former Paris Saint-Germain star.
Nobody understands the stakes better than Mbappé. He knows his team must keep posting positive numbers to edge him closer to the dream of finally lifting the Ballon d'Or.
With no clear favourite in sight, the French striker is grafting to convince the voters who decide the game's most prestigious award.
Dembélé's potential successor will be named in two months, on 27 October, should the Frenchman fail to retain the title of best player in the world.
London hosts the ceremony this time around. The winner must be judged on his performances up to 19 July, yet the events at the start of the current season will leave a clear mark on the decisions of a jury made up of 100 journalists from around the world.
Quite how those 100 journalists reach their verdict remains uncertain. Do they lean on the Champions League, the World Cup, the full season, the opening weeks of this one, or the trophies won with club and country?
Mbappé tops the list of contenders in the minds of the fans, alongside stars such as Rodri, Harry Kane, Fabián Ruiz and Lamine Yamal.
Every factor nudges a player's chances up or down, and none is 100% decisive. Many expect the winner to emerge from the ranks of the world champions after what unfolded on American soil, but being crowned World Cup winner was not decisive in 2010.
France Football magazine will announce a 30-man shortlist over the coming days, and the future winner will be chosen from it.
Every candidate knows the next few days could swing the votes in any direction. A strong start in front of goal and a prominent role in his club's victories both boost a contender's chances, and that suits Mbappé, currently enjoying razor-sharp finishing.
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