According to Marca, Mourinho is well aware of his "untouchable" players, as evidenced by the start of the season: Mbappe, Vinicius, Bellingham, Valverde, and Courtois have consistently been the Portuguese coach's starting lineup. Five names, five cornerstones—Mourinho is building his new Real Madrid around them.
Ultimately, these five players have always been considered superstars, so seeing them on the bench is quite unusual. At this time last season, the situation was different. Bellingham was still recovering from a shoulder injury, and Vinicius was switching between starting and substitute roles. After Mourinho took over, everything went much more smoothly, without any setbacks or surprises. He relied on these five players to win five out of six games.
Kylian Mbappé has been the most eye-catching player, starting the new season with seven goals in six games. If he can maintain this efficiency, he could reach 100 goals for Real Madrid in just over two seasons; he's currently seven goals short. Cristiano Ronaldo is an unavoidable benchmark for the French striker, who only achieved this number in his third season at Real Madrid. Mbappé has already marked November 2nd on his calendar, which will be the deadline for him to match the Portuguese superstar's goal-scoring efficiency.
His strike partner, Vinicius, is still waiting to return to his best form. The Brazilian has only scored one goal and provided three assists in the league, and his attacking presence hasn't fully met expectations; his footwork and finishing in front of goal are somewhat lacking. However, this doesn't overshadow his most criticized aspect at the Bernabéu: teamwork. Against Inter Milan, the world saw a Vinicius giving his all, completing nine tackles—the first time a Real Madrid striker has achieved such statistics in over a decade. Mourinho has already hinted that Vinicius will have his moments of brilliance again.
Bellingham did not disappoint. His performances after scoring seven goals in the World Cup have been a focus of attention, clearly demonstrating that his best position is behind the center forward. Mourinho has placed him back in that position. The manager is clear he doesn't want to see Zud playing almost exclusively as a left-sided full-back, which would exhaust him and keep him away from his area of influence—the penalty area and its surroundings. Since repositioning, he has rediscovered some of his spark in the 2023/24 season: three goals and two assists in six appearances.
Valverde's smile returned. The temporary role as a makeshift full-back was gone; Arbeloa had long since closed that chapter, and Mourinho hadn't even considered it. Valverde no longer plays on the wing. He's a crucial link in the double pivot, his fighting spirit and willingness to sacrifice are indispensable. Technically, he might not be the most refined, but that role is taken care of by his partner, either Joan América or Bernardo Silva. Valverde provides physicality, coverage, and captain-like leadership.
All of this is inseparable from Courtois's efforts. The Belgian goalkeeper has been a hero many times, but for him, it's more like a habit than a coincidence. He was in superb form against Inter Milan, and during a period of lapse in concentration against Rayo Vallecano, he made several brilliant saves to stabilize the situation. However, a clean sheet is still not achieved, because defense is a team effort. He has only managed one clean sheet, against Malaga. This is a lesson the whole team needs to learn, not just the goalkeeper's responsibility.
In short, these five players have laid a solid foundation for the project's start. Mourinho has found the backbone of the new Real Madrid; the team's identity and ambition are built upon them. The season is still long, and rotation will come sooner or later, but at least for now, the coach clearly understands who is indispensable. Judging from the current results, relying on them has not been a mistake.
