Courtois responds to reports of the 'fake Vinicius' and springs a surprise about the 'Mbappe dictatorship'
The Belgian goalkeeper reveals amusing secrets from the Real Madrid dressing room
Thibaut Courtois has lifted the lid on how Real Madrid's players deal with the rumours and conspiracy theories that swirl around their stars. The goalkeeper did so with a smile, before wading into the debate over whether Kylian Mbappé deserves the Ballon d'Or.
Speaking to DAZN Belgium, Courtois was quizzed about the theory that a lookalike has replaced the real Vinicius Junior. He laughed and shot back: "Of course, it is the real Vinicius."
The jokes didn't end with the Brazilian. Courtois also revealed how the Madrid dressing room reacted to Mbappé being branded a "dictator", a label that stirred up plenty of controversy recently. Inside the squad, it has become a running joke.
As reported by Spanish newspaper Marca, Courtois said: "Dictator Mbappé? We laugh about it, and sometimes we repeat it in the form of a song inside the dressing room." The players, in other words, treat these labels with a wink, far from the storm raging outside.
Courtois settles his position on the Mbappé and Yamal battle for the Ballon d'Or
Jokes aside, the Belgian threw his weight behind his French teammate in the Ballon d'Or race. He rates Mbappé the best on an individual level, though he admits a lack of silverware could cost him, especially given the stunning season Lamine Yamal enjoyed with Barcelona and Spain.
"I think that on an individual level there was no player better than Kylian, but, unfortunately, we did not win anything on a collective level," the Real Madrid goalkeeper explained.
On the World Cup comparison, Courtois felt Yamal fell short of the level he has shown elsewhere. What carried the youngster was the trophies: a World Cup, a Spanish title with Barcelona, and a strong year.
"For me, Lamine Yamal produced a World Cup slightly below what was expected, but he became a world champion, won the league with Barcelona, and had a good year," he said.
Mbappé, by contrast, bowed out in fourth with France. Yet he finished as the tournament's top scorer, a fact that, in Courtois's eyes, reinforces the case for the Frenchman's individual brilliance. It reopens the oldest question in the Ballon d'Or debate: personal performance or collective titles?
