Jude Bellingham suggested he had previously "done a bit too much" for his Real Madrid team-mates and "been a little bit too nice" after ending his goal drought.

England superstar Bellingham scored 23 times for Madrid in all competitions in the 2023-24 season, his first with the club.

But prior to their 4-0 win over Osasuna in LaLiga on Saturday, he was yet to get off the mark for this campaign.

Bellingham netted Madrid's second goal, with a Vinicius Junior hat-trick accounting for the others, yet he is still lagging behind the efforts of previous seasons.

The 21-year-old has played 1,118 minutes this term, having netted every 158 minutes in his debut Madrid campaign.

Bellingham has not underperformed against his expected goals total across a season since marginally doing so for Borussia Dortmund in 2020-21, but his sole goal in 2024-25 has come from chances worth 3.1 xG.

His shot conversion rate of 4.35% is comfortably a new low at Dortmund or Madrid, too.

Those numbers come with the context of Bellingham's altered role in the team, however, as Carlo Ancelotti makes room for star signing Kylian Mbappe in the XI.

"A lot of people were talking about it because last year I scored loads of goals," Bellingham told Real Madrid TV of his goal drought. "But I think I'm playing a different role this year. I'm doing different things in different parts of the pitch.

"It's one of those things, I'll do anything for the team. Maybe I've done a bit too much and been a little bit too nice.

"From now on, I think I'll get a feeling for it, and I'll try to carry on, but if not I'll keep trying to help the team in any way I can."

Bellingham scored from one of two attempts against Osasuna, taking his fifth Opta-defined big chance of the season, while he laid on the assist for Vinicius' opener.

"I felt like I did what I normally do," he explained. "But the only difference is that I managed to add a goal."

Vinicius Junior scored a hat-trick as Real Madrid ended a run of back-to-back losses in all competitions by hammering Osasuna 4-0 in LaLiga on Saturday.

The victory cut the gap to league leaders Barcelona to six points, with Carlo Ancelotti's side having lost El Clasico in their previous league game.

Vinicius opened the scoring in the 34th minute at the Bernabeu after controlling a pass from Jude Bellingham perfectly to beat the offside trap and fire past goalkeeper Sergio Herrera.

Bellingham then turned scorer eight minutes later, chipping the ball over Herrera's head to double his side's lead.

While that goal put Real Madrid in a commanding position, Vinicius ended it as a contest in the second half with goals in the 61st and 69th minutes. Following the result, Osasuna are fifth on 21 points.

Data debrief: Vinicius helps Real Madrid back into form

Vinicius scored his second hat-trick in under a month on Saturday, having done the same in Real Madrid's 5-2 victory at home to Dortmund in the Champions League on 22 October.

It was also his third within the calendar year, while he now has 11 goal involvements in 10 matches against Osasuna in the league – more than any other team in LaLiga.

The victory today was Real Madrid's third straight league victory against Osasuna in which they have scored four or more goals, while they are now unbeaten in their last 19 (W15 D4) against them.

Manchester City's Rodri has won the Ballon d'Or after a sensational year for club and country, beating Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior to the accolade.

Rodri becomes the first Spaniard to win the award since Barcelona's Luis Suarez back in 1960. 

The 28-year-old was an integral part of Manchester City's unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title triumph, with Pep Guardiola's side not tasting defeat in the 34 league games that Rodri featured in, winning 27 and drawing seven.

He then kept up his winning habit over the summer as he helped Spain to glory at Euro 2024, and was named the Player of the Tournament, despite being forced off due to injury in the final. 

Rodri is expected to miss the remainder of the season as he was forced to undergo anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery, and was helped up on stage by Didier Drogba to claim the accolade, with the midfielder having arrived at the ceremony in Paris on crutches. 

The Man City star is also the first player to win the Ballon d'Or while playing for an English club since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008.

Vinicius, who was tipped to win the award after netting 24 goals and adding 11 assists in all competitions last term, finished second, with Madrid team-mate Jude Bellingham making up the top three. 

Madrid do have a fair amount to celebrate, though.

Carlo Ancelotti was named the winner of the Men's Johan Cruyff Trophy for the best coach, having guided Los Blancos to last season's LaLiga title as well as the club's 15th Champions League triumph. 

And Madrid were also picked out as the Men's Club of the Year.

However, there was no one present in Paris to claim the award, with Madrid representatives reportedly boycotting the event after Vinicius' snub for the Ballon d'Or.

Rodri's international colleague, Lamine Yamal, scooped the first award of the ceremony, winning the Kopa Trophy, which is awarded to the best player under the age of 21. 

Yamal is the first player aged under 18 to win the award. He scored seven goals and added nine assists in his debut season with Barcelona, and has continued his rapid rise after starring in La Roja's European Championship success. 

Yamal already has 11 goal involvements (five goals, six assists) in LaLiga this term, a total only bettered by Barcelona team-mates Raphinha (12) and Robert Lewandowski (16). 

The Gerd Muller Trophy was shared between Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe. 

The award, given to football's most prolific forward, was shared for the first time, with both Kane and Mbappe netting 52 goals in all competitions across 2023-24.

Kane enjoyed a fine debut year with Bayern Munich, though his wait for a first major trophy of his career continued, while Mbappe's final campaign with Paris Saint-Germain ended with two honours.

Emiliano Martinez picked up the Yashin Trophy for a second year running after his performances for Aston Villa and Argentina.

In the Premier League, Martinez kept nine clean sheets, helping Villa clinch qualification for the Champions League for the first time since the 1982-83 season.

He also played a key role in Argentina winning their 15th Copa America title with five shutouts in six games.

Lee Carsley has recalled Dominic Solanke to the England squad for their upcoming Nations League matches against Greece and Finland.

Solanke's only previous call-up came when he was at Liverpool back in 2017, earning his sole cap as a substitute against Brazil.

Despite missing the start of the season through injury, he has made a fine start to life at Tottenham and has scored in each of his last three matches in all competitions.

"Dom's a player I'm fully aware of having worked with him in the past," said Carsley.

"He was really close to being in the last squad but got injured just before selection. He did so well at Bournemouth, and now he's taken that form into Spurs. He's extremely talented, and it's good that we've got him."

Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Jude Bellingham are also back in the squad after missing the September fixtures through illness and injury respectively.

Should Bellingham feature for the Three Lions this international break, he would move outright second for most England appearances before turning 22 (currently 36, level with Marcus Rashford), after Wayne Rooney (40).

Kyle Walker is also back in the fold having been left out of the last squad due to a lack of playing time, and could move into the top five for most England appearances made at Wembley Stadium (37) if he plays against Greece.

Meanwhile, Harry Maguire, James Maddison and Eberechi Eze all drop out.

England squad in full:

Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Newcastle United), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Levi Colwill (Chelsea), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Rico Lewis (Manchester City), John Stones (Manchester City), Kyle Walker (Manchester City), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Conor Gallagher (Atletico Madrid), Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest), Angel Gomes (Lille), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Dominic Solanke (Tottenham), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa).

Luka Modric lauded Real Madrid's attacking ranks as the LaLiga champions fought from behind to thrash Espanyol 4-1 on Saturday.

Thibaut Courtois' blunder handed the visitors a shock lead in the 54th minute, only for Dani Carvajal to level four minutes later after Jude Bellingham's cross was spilled by Joan Garcia.

Vinicius Junior's introduction breathed life into Carlo Ancelotti's side, however, teeing up Rodrygo's first-time finish with 15 minutes remaining.

Brazil star Vinicius followed that up with a goal of his own to make it 3-1 before Kylian Mbappe sealed all three points with his third penalty in as many LaLiga games.

Madrid captain Modric still saw room for improvement but acknowledged the attacking quality Los Blancos have after moving one point behind leaders Barcelona, who visit Villarreal on Sunday.

"We played a very good game but it's true that it was difficult for us to finish plays. We created a lot of chances but we have a lot of room for improvement," Modric told Movistar Plus.

"I don't know if it was our best or not but it was a great game, from start to finish. We must continue like today. To have Vinicius, Mbappe, Bellingham and Rodrygo is awesome; they are great.

"They and the whole team are doing everything right but we still can improve; we'll keep going in the next few games until we feel we reach out true potential. This match can give us confidence."

Vinicius was left on the bench but his second-half impact saw him both score and assist in a single Madrid game as a substitute for the first time in his career across all competitions (272 games).

That set the stage for Mbappe to put the result beyond any doubt, becoming just the second Madrid player this decade to score penalties in three straight LaLiga games, after his compatriot Karim Benzema.

A fine fightback performance left Ancelotti delighted, though the Madrid head coach was still cautious, primarily due to managing Bellingham's troublesome should injury.

"We started well and reacted well after the 1-0, it was complete," Ancelotti said, as quoted by AS.

"We played better than in other games; with more rhythm and generating more opportunities. I'm happy.

"Jude has had the shoulder problem and it has resolved well. He was able to play the whole game without any problem.

"He's always played with protection. A month ago he took it off because he was fine, but he has had this problem again. I don't think it will be a problem, although it must be taken care of, obviously."

Jude Bellingham lauded yet another landmark moment in the career of Kylian Mbappe after the Frenchman marked his Champions League debut for Real Madrid with a goal. 

Mbappe, who has five goals in his first seven games for his new club, opened the scoring in Los Blancos' 3-1 win over Stuttgart on Tuesday. 

The 25-year-old's effort saw him net his 49th Champions League goal, with only Robert Lewandowski (61) scoring more in the competition since Mbappe's debut. 

He also became the second Frenchman to score on his debut for Madrid in the competition, joining Christian Karembeu who netted against Bayer Leverkusen in 1998. 

Bellingham explained how quickly Mbappe has settled into life in the Spanish capital, saying: "He's going to be a huge player for us, this season and beyond.

"He always delivers so far, it's a lot of pressure coming to a club like Madrid, but he's taken to it really easily and the lads love him already."

The encounter against Stuttgart also marked Bellingham's return to the side after the England midfielder missed the last four games with a muscle injury. 

Upon his return, Bellingham won more tackles (two) and accumulated the highest pass accuracy (93.3%) of anyone in the Los Blancos side. 

Across all competitions last year, Bellingham made 42 appearances, notching 23 goals and laying on a further 13 assists in his debut year at the Santiago Bernabeu. 

Having also starred for England at Euro 2024, the 21-year-old was excited to be back out on the pitch and is aiming for more success this term. 

"Three-and-a-half weeks [out] has been difficult. I've not been injured a lot in my career, so whenever it happens, I'm a bit impatient," he said.

“But this time I wanted to take it slowly and agreed this would be the game I came back in – maybe off the bench – but I was buzzing to start.

"In the first half I left it all out there, I was that excited and all over the place, just wanting to create and get in the box.

“Second half, I probably just ran out of a bit of steam, so I stayed a little bit deeper, but I'm getting used to being back, finding my feet again and I'm sure I'll be fine this season."

Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe both scored penalties as Real Madrid saw off Real Sociedad 2-0 at the Reale Arena.

Carlo Ancelotti's side moved to within a point of LaLiga leaders Barcelona, who visit fifth-place Girona on Sunday.

Already without the likes of Jude Bellingham, David Alaba, Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni, Madrid suffered another injury blow in the 24th minute when Brahim Diaz was forced off with a muscular issue.

After a goalless first half, the visitors broke through 13 minutes after the restart with Vinicius slotting home from 12 yards after Sergio Gomez handled Arda Guler's shot.

Vinicus was then felled for Madrid's second penalty, which was awarded following a VAR review, with Mbappe making no mistake in sealing all three points.

Data Debrief: Madrid extend unbeaten streak

Extending their unbeaten LaLiga streak to 37 matches, Madrid have now won four successive away league games against Basque opposition for the first time since a run of four such victories between 2011 and 2013.

By contrast, Sociedad have now suffered four straight home defeats in the Spanish top flight for the first time since 2007.

Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo has backed Kylian Mbappe to win the award this year, tipping Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham and Lamine Yamal to provide his competition. 

Al-Nassr forward Ronaldo, like his great rival Lionel Messi, was left off the 30-man shortlist for the 2024 edition of world football's most prestigious individual honour.

It is the first time since 2003 that neither man has featured among the nominees, having shared the prize among them exclusively from Ronaldo's first triumph in 2008 to his last in 2017.

With a first-time winner guaranteed, Ronaldo has provided his backing to Mbappe, who finished third in the voting last year, behind Messi and Haaland.

Mbappe scored 44 goals and provided 10 assists in all competitions throughout his final season with Paris Saint-Germain in 2023-24, before completing his long-awaited move to Real Madrid.

Ronaldo – Madrid's all-time leading scorer with 450 goals for Los Blancos – believes everything at the Santiago Bernabeu is set up to make Mbappe's tenure a success.

"I think he will do well. The structure of the club... it's nice, it's good," Ronaldo said on his YouTube channel.

"They have a great coach and the president, Florentino [Perez], who has been there many, many years. 

"I think it won't be a big problem because of his talent. Mbappe can be the next Ballon d'Or winner. Him, [Erling] Haaland, [Jude] Bellingham or Lamine [Yamal]."

Madrid won their record-extending 15th European Cup/Champions League crown last season, coming through dramatic ties against Manchester City and Bayern Munich before beating Borussia Dortmund in the final.

Their knockout success has led some to suggest fortune tends to favour them in the big moments, but Ronaldo says they make their own luck.

"Madrid is the kind of team where they don't rush under pressure. People say they're lucky in the Champions League," he said.

"No, they are not lucky. They're prepared for this kind of moment. The Bernabeu has that different aura.

"Now, if you say that Madrid are going to be better or not, we don't know. Mbappe is there now, I think Madrid will stay strong, but I don't know if they will be better than last year. Only God knows."

Eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi has missed out on a nomination for this year's award, with Lamine Yamal, Rodri and six England internationals making the 30-man shortlist.

Real Madrid and England star Jude Bellingham has spoken of his frustration at a muscle injury he sustained in training via his account on social media website X.

According to reports, it is expected to keep the 21-year-old out of action until at least the end of September.

That means he will miss his club's next three matches along with Lee Carsley’s opening two fixtures as England’s interim manager.

In an official statement, Real Madrid said, “Following tests carried out today [Friday] on Jude Bellingham by Real Madrid’s medical team, the player has been diagnosed with an injury to the plantaris muscle in his right leg. His progress will be monitored.”

On his enforced time off, Bellingham tried to find the positives despite admitting his frustration, as he suggested last season's exploits have perhaps taken a toll on his fitness.

“Nothing I hate more than missing games but trying to see the positive side and maybe my body is telling me it needs a bit more rest,” he wrote on X.

“I’m very frustrated but I’ll be supporting the lads like a fan until I can rejoin them again in my best and strongest form.”

Jude Bellingham is set for a spell on the sidelines after sustaining an injury in training.

The Real Madrid star will definitely miss the next three Los Blancos matches, and England's games against the Republic of Ireland and Finland in the Nations League.

In a statement, Madrid confirmed Bellingham was suffering with a calf issue.

Bellingham missed 13 games in all competitions for Madrid last season, but they did not lose a single one, winning 11 and drawing twice, while their goals per game also lifted from 2.2 to 2.7.

Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, who usually talks to the media one day before each game, decided to change the schedule so he could hold his final training session behind closed doors at the Santiago Bernabeu, where Los Blancos host Real Valladolid on Sunday.

But this unusual move had nothing to do with Madrid's display in a 1-1 draw at Real Mallorca last weekend.

"It's nothing special, I'm doing it just to test the pitch, because it has changed compared to last year," said the Italian, who was unhappy with the effort his side showed against Mallorca.

"I want the players to try the new pitch to see how they feel there. There is nothing superstitious or anything else behind it."

The Italian insisted, however, that he needs to see a better performance in order for him to deploy an attacking quarter of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Bellingham ahead of only two conventional midfielders.

"It was a pretty clear game to evaluate, we lacked balance, it's not very complicated. There is a clear solution," Ancelotti said.

"With such an attacking team, the forwards have to work a bit harder. We have tried to fix it with a lot of work this week."

Ancelotti expects a warm welcome by Madrid's fans for Mbappe's home debut.

"It's going to be a beautiful day for Mbappe, playing for the first time at the Bernabeu wearing Real's jersey... The fans are going to enjoy it a lot, I'm sure of that," Ancelotti said.

Carlo Ancelotti has said Real Madrid are considering allowing players to take short breaks during the season with concerns about the congested fixture schedule. 

Ancelotti, who led Los Blancos to a record sixth Super Cup triumph against Atalanta on Wednesday, now turns his attention to the new LaLiga season. 

Madrid travel to the Visit Mallorca Estadi to face Mallorca in their opening league encounter as they begin their title defence with Kylian Mbappe in their ranks. 

However, Ancelotti revealed that the club are considering extended breaks away from action during the season due to the pressures of domestic and club football.

"The players need rest, they need holidays and we are thinking about giving individual holidays to the players during the season," Ancelotti said.

"We are thinking about giving in-season breaks, give a week off for a player so he can go and stay with his family, especially international players, who have very little rest because they usually don't get even a day's holiday in international breaks.

"We are assessing it with the medical staff and the physical preparation."

Following their La Liga and Champions League double last season, Ancelotti faces the possibility of winning seven titles during the 2024-25 campaign. 

Los Blancos will compete in LaLiga, the Champions League, Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, plus the FIFA Intercontinental Cup and the new Club World Cup in the United States. 

Madrid have strengthened with the arrivals of Mbappe and Endrick, but Ancelotti believes the club need to make sacrifices to preserve the health and fitness of their players.

The Italian said he and his staff are already looking ahead to the 2025-26 season, with the 2026 World Cup putting extra demands on international players. 

"At the moment we still don't even know the date (of the Club World Cup), same with the Intercontinental. We are bidding for seven titles but we still don't know when or how," Ancelotti said.

"The 2025-26 season might start earlier because of the World Cup, so we have to plan accordingly starting this season.

"For example, when Vinicius Jr comes back after playing with Brazil, instead of playing in LaLiga, he rests for three or four days, he goes on holiday and then he comes back.

"That's the only way. Normally those players train, even if they don't play. But we're going to take that away, let them do what they want on those days. That's what we're going to do."

Kylian Mbappe targeted a haul of 50 goals in his first season with Real Madrid after scoring on his debut in their UEFA Super Cup win over Atalanta, declaring: "I have no limit".

Mbappe joined Federico Valverde on the scoresheet as Champions League holders Madrid won the Super Cup for a record-breaking sixth time on Wednesday, beating La Dea 2-0.

The former Paris Saint-Germain forward slammed into the top-right corner after being teed up by Jude Bellingham after 68 minutes in Warsaw, where Madrid were arguably unfortunate not to win by a greater margin.

Having contributed 44 goals and 10 assists during his final campaign in France, Mbappe is hopeful of an even more impressive return in his debut season with Los Blancos. 

"We're at Real Madrid, we have no limit, I have no limit," Mbappe told Movistar.

"If I can score 50 goals, it's 50. But the most important thing is to win and improve as a team, because we're going to win as a team.

"It was a great night. I've been waiting for this moment a long time, to play in this shirt, with this badge, for these fans. It's a great moment for me.

"Winning a trophy is very important, we know that we always have to win. I'm very happy, for sure with the goal, for a forward like me, being decisive in my first game, but more importantly, it's a pleasure to play."

Mbappe played as a central striker flanked by Brazil internationals Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, with Bellingham playing in a slightly deeper role than that he occupied in his first season at the Santiago Bernabeu.

After Vinicius and Bellingham combined to tee up his goal, Mbappe said he was excited to develop alongside the two Ballon d'Or contenders. 

"They're two great players," Mbappe said when asked about Vinicius and Bellingham. 

"Here we have the best in every position. I'm happy to play with the entire squad we have, we'll improve for sure, me first of all, but today is a positive step."

Jude Bellingham hailed Kylian Mbappe as the ideal team-mate after the Frenchman began his Real Madrid career with a goal in their UEFA Super Cup victory over Atalanta.

Mbappe hammered his finish into the top-right corner to give Madrid daylight after 68 minutes at the Stadion Narodowy, having been picked out near the penalty spot by Bellingham.

That strike made the former Paris Saint-Germain star the first Madrid player to net on his debut since Bellingham made an immediate impact last August, scoring in their opening match in LaLiga against Athletic Bilbao.

Asked whether Mbappe's debut goal was written in the stars by TNT Sports, Bellingham said: "I think so, he's just one of those players, isn't he? 

"He's brilliant, he's so sharp and he has so much technical quality. He's a great team-mate as well. 

"He doesn't just rely on the quality he has, he works like a dog as well. Full credit to him and he deserves it tonight."

Many had queried how Carlo Ancelotti would field Mbappe, Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo in the same lineup, but the quartet combined to great effect in the second half.

Playing in a slightly deeper position than that he occupied in his first campaign in Spain, Bellingham enjoyed the most touches (75) and created the most chances (three) of any Madrid player.  

He has now registered an assist on all three of his final appearances for Madrid, also laying on goals in last season's Champions League and Supercopa de Espana showpiece games.

Asked how he found playing alongside Mbappe, Vinicius and Rodrygo, Bellingham said: "We've got a new-look team, I think in the first half we were still adjusting but in the second half it all came together. 

"I thought we were brilliant. It was really nice. It's going to be a long year for us if we do well in everything, which is want we want to do. So we've got to enjoy nights like tonight.

"It's all about being patient, we're going to suffer at times but we've just got to find our rhythms and play with a smile, enjoy it.

"I think we just need to get a feel for our positions. I can go higher when I need to, and I can come back and help in the build-up as well.

"Whatever the coach wants from me, I'll do it. I don't know if I'm always going to score or make goals but hopefully I'll always be involved in helping the team win."

Kylian Mbappe started his Real Madrid career with a goal as Los Blancos beat Europa League holders Atalanta 2-0 in Warsaw, winning the UEFA Super Cup for a record-breaking sixth time.

Mbappe fired into the top-right corner following good work from Jude Bellingham to clinch victory for the Champions League winners after 68 minutes, nine minutes after Federico Valverde had opened the scoring.

The best chance of a tepid first half fell Madrid's way in stoppage time, with Rodrygo rattling the crossbar after taking in Vinicius Junior's delicate outside-of-the-boot pass.

Thibaut Courtois then made a full-stretch save to keep out Mario Pasalic's header shortly after the restart, and Madrid took full advantage of that reprieve by hitting the front just before the hour mark.

Vinicius drove to the byline on the left side of the area before cutting back for Valverde, who could not miss from almost directly beneath the crossbar.

Vinicius was then denied by Juan Musso when one-on-one, and Madrid's newfound swagger resulted in a debut goal for their latest Galactico. Mbappe hammered home after being picked out by Bellingham inside a crowded penalty area.

Mbappe is the first Madrid player to score on his competitive debut for the club since Bellingham did so against Athletic Bilbao 12 months ago, and the first to do so in the Super Cup since Marco Asensio versus Sevilla in 2016.

Data Debrief: Records for Madrid and Ancelotti

Madrid's victory was their sixth in the Super Cup, taking them clear of Milan and rivals Barcelona for the outright most in the competition's history.

Three of those wins have come under Ancelotti (2014, 2022 and 2024), who also oversaw triumphs for Milan in 2003 and 2007. 

His five Super Cup victories are the most of any coach, with Wednesday's win taking him clear of Pep Guardiola (four).