Kylian Mbappe’s France role to change dramatically as Zinedine Zidane could expose Jose Mourinho’s biggest Real Madrid dilemma with Vinicius

Kylian Mbappe is entering a new chapter with France under Zinedine Zidane, while Jose Mourinho faces a familiar Real Madrid problem involving Vinicius Junior. What happens during the international break could provide an intriguing glimpse into a tactical question that has continued to follow Mbappe and Vinicius at club level.

Zidane is preparing for his first match in charge of France against Turkiye on September 25, with the new manager already considering changes to his attacking setup. For Mbappe, that could mean a significant adjustment to the role he has occupied for much of his time at Real Madrid.

Zidane has already hinted that he does not necessarily see Mbappe as a permanent center-forward for France. When asked about the Real Madrid star’s position, the new France coach made it clear that he values his versatility. “I don’t think so, he can play in all three positions, I really like him on the left,” the coach said, according to RMC Sport.

The comment is particularly significant because the Frenchman has spent much of his career at the Bernabeu operating through the middle after previously establishing himself as one of the world’s most dangerous left-wingers. Zidane appears willing to return him to a position where he has already enjoyed considerable success with Les Bleus.

Mbappe could return to the left wing

According to reports from RMC Sport, Zidane has told Mbappe that he wants him to return to the left wing, the position he occupied during France’s 2018 World Cup triumph. That would represent a major change from the central role he has increasingly played at Real Madrid.

The adjustment could also allow Ousmane Dembele to operate through the middle, with the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner having demonstrated his ability to play as a central forward during his time with Paris Saint-Germain. Esteban Lepaul is another option Zidane could consider for the position.

For Mbappe, the move would be a return to familiar territory rather than an entirely new experiment. His pace, ability to attack from wide areas and tendency to cut inside have long made the left flank one of his most natural positions.

France’s new setup could expose Real Madrid’s biggest dilemma

That is where Zidane’s decision becomes particularly interesting for Real Madrid. Vinicius is the established left-sided attacker at the club, while Mbappe has increasingly occupied the central position to allow the Brazilian to remain on his preferred flank.

The issue was exposed again during Real Madrid’s 2-1 derby defeat to Atletico Madrid, when the movement of both forwards showed how easily they can drift into similar areas. According to Marca, Vinicius operated primarily from the left while Mbappe, despite starting as the center-forward in Mourinho’s 4-2-3-1, repeatedly moved toward the same side.

The Spanish newspaper described the overlap as “the presence of both players in almost the same areas, which reduced the effectiveness of each of them and weakened Real Madrid’s attacking variety.”

The derby numbers highlighted the problem

The tactical concerns were reflected in Real Madrid’s attacking output against Atletico. Mourinho‘s team recorded only 0.32 expected goals, its lowest figure in a La Liga match since February 2015, Opta data has confirmed.

Mbappe managed only one shot during the 90 minutes, while Vinicius registered two attempts before Mourinho substituted him in the 54th minute. Their limited impact added to questions over whether Real Madrid has found the right structure to maximize both forwards simultaneously.

Marca has also added that the same problem has appeared under Carlo Ancelotti, Xabi Alonso, Arbeloa and Mourinho, with each coach facing the challenge of balancing the positions of Mbappe and Vinicius.