Petit: Real Madrid should let Bellingham and Mbappe be leaders.

Petit, a member of the French team that won the 1998 World Cup, said on a program that he believes Real Madrid should let Bellingham and Mbappe take on leadership responsibilities.

Petit praised Bellingham's performance at the 2026 World Cup, emphasizing that the England star's fighting spirit and ambition in the tournament should be carried over to Real Madrid.

“This is the Bellingham I want to see on the pitch. He plays like a lion, showing leadership both on and off the pitch.”

He added: "He's under tremendous pressure. Don't forget, just a few months ago there were people questioning whether he deserved to be in England's World Cup squad. So he has something to prove himself."

Bellingham delivered an outstanding performance, scoring 7 goals to become the highest-scoring midfielder in World Cup history, setting a new record for a midfielder in a single World Cup.

Petit continued, "If I were a Real Madrid fan, I would say to Bellingham and Mbappe: This is the level we want to see. Expectations for next season are very high."

He predicted that Mourinho would have private talks with the pair, saying, "He will tell them, 'This is what I ask of you: step onto the pitch and become leaders of the team.'"

Petit also praised Mbappe's performance at the World Cup, believing that the French captain had rediscovered humility and leadership qualities.

He said, "We see the Mbappe we knew early in his career: humble, approachable to teammates and coaches, and able to lead the team on the pitch."

Mbappé scored 10 goals at the World Cup, becoming the tournament's top scorer and the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history. However, Petit emphasized that this will bring even higher expectations upon his return to Real Madrid.

He explained: "Real Madrid fans have already seen his performance for the French national team, and they will expect him to lead the team on and off the field, just like Ronaldo and many other club legends."

Petit concluded by saying that Mourinho must build a team that relies on collective strength rather than individual brilliance, adding: "Real Madrid can't always rely on flashes of brilliance from Mbappe or Vinicius. The past two seasons have proven to both Spain and Paris Saint-Germain that even with the best players, collective strength is more important than individual brilliance."