Mbappé, Kounané, and Kukuric join Real Madrid training

Madrid, AFP – French national team captain Kylian Mbappé joined his Spanish club Real Madrid for training today, Monday, after a three-week break, alongside new arrivals to the royal club, his compatriot Ibrahima Konate and Spanish full-back Marc Cucurella, a 2026 World Cup winner. The three players underwent medical examinations before participating in their first training session on Monday morning under the supervision of the new-old Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho, who is returning to Real Madrid after 13 years since his previous stint at the royal club.

Mbappé, the top scorer of the 2026 World Cup where France finished fourth, spent the past three weeks on vacation, notably in Ibiza in the Spanish Balearic Islands, accompanied by his friend and former Paris Saint-Germain teammate, Moroccan international Achraf Hakimi.

The other Frenchman Aurélien Tchouaméni and Englishman Jude Bellingham, who also participated in the World Cup, are expected to join training today, Monday.

The Spanish giant will play three preparatory matches in the coming days before starting their La Liga campaign at the Espanyol stadium on August 22.