Mbappé chases Ballon d'Or as Real Madrid squad splits for international break

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé outlines his Ballon d'Or case, Thiago Pitarch eyes Castilla minutes, and 15 players depart on international duty.

Real Madrid's squad has scattered for the international break, with 15 players called up by their national teams and the rest staying at Valdebebas to work on fitness and recovery. The senior side does not play again until October 10, giving the club a three-week pause after the derby against Atlético Madrid.

Kylian Mbappé used the break to speak to RFI and The Athletic about his ambitions. He said winning the Ballon d'Or is a goal rather than an obsession, arguing the award should reward individual performance above all else after what he described as a strong year in which he was the top scorer in major competitions.

The forward also reflected on his ties to Africa, saying he hoped to win the trophy and dedicate it in some way to his supporters there. On club matters, Mbappé called José Mourinho's return to Real Madrid a privilege and said the squad is hungry to compete for every title.

Looking back on his career, Mbappé revealed he came close to joining Liverpool from Monaco, recalling a meeting with Jürgen Klopp on a plane. He said his mother favored the move, but he chose Paris to establish himself in his home country first. He also noted he had not expected to become the World Cup's all-time leading scorer at 27.

Elsewhere at the club, Thiago Pitarch is set to rebuild match fitness with Castilla, Real Madrid's reserve team, after a knee injury disrupted his summer. Reports indicate Mourinho has approved a plan for the midfielder to play in Castilla's fixtures during the break, starting with Wednesday's rescheduled match against Sant Andreu, with a possible Spain Under-20 appearance against Mexico on September 30 still tentative.