Sports

Mourinho facing early headache on Real Madrid return with staggered pre-season

June 28, 2026

Source: Yahoo Sports · Read on source site

class="wp-block-paragraph">Real Madrid will officially begin preparations for the new season on 13 July, when José Mourinho oversees his first medical tests and training sessions as the club’s new head coach.

class="wp-block-paragraph">However, the Portuguese manager will have to launch his project under far-from-ideal circumstances – something that is seen as a concern by him, reports SPORT.

class="wp-block-paragraph">The ongoing FIFA World Cup has significantly disrupted Real Madrid’s summer plans, leaving Mourinho frustrated by the limited number of players available during the opening weeks of pre-season.

A squad split in two

class="wp-block-paragraph">Despite having 29 first-team players under contract, Mourinho will begin work with only 13 available footballers at Valdebebas.

class="wp-block-paragraph">Even among those 13, the futures of half the group remain uncertain. The six players whose place in the squad is not guaranteed are: Eduardo Camavinga, Gonzalo Garcia, Raul Asencio, Fran Garcia, Franco Mastantuono, and Thiago Pitarch.

Mourinho will take over on 13 July. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

class="wp-block-paragraph">Mourinho will use pre-season to evaluate each of them before making final decisions on whether they remain part of his plans or leave during the transfer window.

class="wp-block-paragraph">The other seven players expected to report from day one are considered part of the club’s plans. They are: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andriy Lunin, Alvaro Carreras, Dean Huijsen, Ferland Mendy (injured), Eder Militao (injured), and Rodrygo (injured).

Mourinho: ‘I want their national teams to lose’

class="wp-block-paragraph">Mourinho recently attracted attention when discussing the World Cup’s impact on Real Madrid’s preparations.

class="wp-block-paragraph">“You want the truth? I want the Real Madrid players to lose and go on vacation. Because I want the lads back for pre-season,” he said.

class="wp-block-paragraph">The comment surprised many supporters but reflected his desire to have his international players return as quickly as possible rather than spend another month away from club football.

15 players still at the World Cup

class="wp-block-paragraph">While Mourinho starts work with a reduced squad, 12 Real Madrid players remain involved in the World Cup and will return only after their national teams are eliminated. They will join pre-season in stages throughout July and early August.

Mbappe is going strong at the World Cup. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

class="wp-block-paragraph">The players currently representing their countries are: Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, Aurelien Tchouameni, Ibrahima Konate, Vinicius Jr, Endrick, Marc Cucurella, Thibaut Courtois, Antonio Rudiger, Brahim Diaz, Bernardo Silva, and Denzel Dumfries.

class="wp-block-paragraph">Federico Valverde (Uruguay) and Arda Guler (Turkey) have been eliminated and could join the team earlier.

Finalists to miss the start of La Liga

class="wp-block-paragraph">The World Cup final is scheduled for 19 July. Players reaching the final would begin their holidays on 20 July, meaning they would not return to their clubs until around 10 August.

class="wp-block-paragraph">With the new La Liga season scheduled to begin on 15 August, clubs featuring World Cup finalists are expected to start the campaign without several key players available.

class="wp-block-paragraph">The unusual calendar presents another major challenge for Real Madrid. Last season, club president Florentino Perez pointed to the expanded Club World Cup as one of the factors behind the team’s difficult campaign.

class="wp-block-paragraph">Now, the international World Cup has once again disrupted Real Madrid’s preparations, forcing Mourinho to build his new project gradually while waiting for the majority of his squad to filter back to Valdebebas over several weeks.