Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Play like a lion!
Former France world champion Emmanuel Petit has sent a direct message to Jude Bellingham and his manager Jose Mourinho, demanding that the England star’s leading personality at the 2026 World Cup be invested at Real Madrid alongside Kylian Mbappe.
Petit, who scored the third goal in the 1998 World Cup final, urged Jose Mourinho to rely on Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe as Real Madrid’s true leaders in the new season, stressing that the club must rebuild its collective identity.
Beattie praised Bellingham’s performance at the 2026 World Cup, stressing that the anger and ambition he showed during the tournament should continue with Real Madrid.
And move the site Jules The former star of Arsenal and Chelsea said: “This is the version of Bellingham I want to see on the field. He played like a lion and showed leadership on and off the field.”
He added: “There’s been a huge amount of pressure on him and don’t forget he was in doubt about his eligibility to join the England squad for the World Cup a few months ago, so he had something to prove.”
Bellingham had an exceptional tournament after finishing the World Cup as the midfielder’s top scorer with seven goals, an unprecedented tally for any midfielder in a single World Cup game.
“If I were a Real Madrid fan, I would say to Bellingham and Mbappé. “This is the level we want to see from you.”
He expected Mourinho to have a private chat with the pair, saying: “He will tell them. this is what i expect from you. Go out on the field and be the captain of the team.”
Mbappe regains his humility
Petit also praised Kylian Mbappe’s performance at the World Cup, noting that the France captain has regained his humility and leadership spirit.
“We saw the Mbappe we knew at the beginning of his career. humble, close with teammates and coach, and a leader on the field.”
Mbappe scored 10 goals to become the World Cup’s top scorer, as well as becoming the world’s all-time top scorer, but Petit stressed that this would raise expectations on his return to Real Madrid.
Real Madrid fans saw what he did with the France national team and will expect him to lead the team on and off the pitch, just like Cristiano Ronaldo and many of the club’s legends have done.
Petit concluded by stressing that Mourinho must build a team on teamwork rather than individual performances, adding: “Real Madrid cannot always rely on the brilliance of Mbappe or Vinicius. Spain and PSG have proven in the last two seasons that team strength is more important than the best players, even if they have the best players.”
Read also: Deciding Liverpool’s position on the Vinicius deal… and the Saudi giants are waiting.
Also read: Official World Cup warning. What happened in Britain is unprecedented.
