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Jude Bellingham. REUTERS

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2026-27 season preview: Real Madrid

By Alyssa Clang | Last updated Aug 14, 2026 10:00 AM ET

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The 2026 FIFA World Cup is over, and that means one thing: the return of global club soccer.

The 2026-27 European season will kick off in mid-August. Spain's La Liga will return on Saturday, Aug. 15; England's Premier League and France's Ligue 1 will return on Friday, Aug. 21; Italy's Serie A will return on Saturday, Aug. 22 and Germany's Bundesliga will return on Friday, Aug. 28.

The world's top clubs have been busy since the end of the World Cup. But what are their stories? How did they perform last season? Which players have they signed and sold to prepare for this one? And what will success look like for them throughout this new campaign?

We're breaking down Europe's top teams in advance of the 2026-27 season. We've covered Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain, Premier League contenders Aston Villa, Arsenal and Manchester City and Spanish favorite FC Barcelona — now it's time to check in on Real Madrid, Europe's winningest club team.

How did things go for Real Madrid last season?

Oh man, not well at all. Strap in.

Madrid kicked off last season with high hopes. It had a new manager in Xabi Alonso (a club legend who'd cut his teeth in Germany by leading Bayer Leverkusen to an undefeated domestic season) and a new attitude inspired by his modern approach to the game.

"Xabi has tried to guarantee more discipline and order in the day-to-day, with control of schedules, more work in the gym at the prevention level, and group and individual video sessions," a Madrid source told The Athletic early in Alonso's tenure.

All that change soon rankled Madrid's star-studded lineup.

"Some of them have won so much without doing these things that when these have been imposed on them, they have complained," the source added. "It’s no secret, some cases have been public. It’s normal, especially with those who were untouchable."

Things came to a head in October of 2025 when Real Madrid took on its rival Barcelona in the season's first clasico. Madrid won the match 2-1, but its victory was overshadowed by an outburst from attacker Vinicius Jr. after Alonso subbed him out in the second half.

"Me?" he asked, incredulous, as his number came up. "Always me. I’m leaving the team, it’s better if I leave, I’m leaving."

Vini stormed off the field and down the tunnel without acknowledging his coach, and from there, Alonso's fate was sealed. Madrid's stars turned on him and he was sacked by January.

@cbssportsgolazo Vini Jr. made his feelings very clear #soccer #football #realmadrid #laliga #elclasico ♬ original sound - CBS Sports Golazo

Youth team coach Alvaro Arbeloa took over on an interim basis, but he cowed quickly to Madrid's players at let them run the show, wary of Alonso's fate after daring to challenge their power. Things spiraled from there. By the time the season was over Madrid was eight points behind Barcelona in La Liga, out of the Champions League at the quarterfinal stage and managing serious reports of locker room violence between midfielders Fede Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni.

What did Madrid do to steady the ship? Why, hire controversial coach Jose Mourinho, that's what. The polemic Portuguese manager doesn't exactly have a reputation for reason, but he will be tasked with bringing sanity and order back to the Bernabeu in 2026/27 all the same.

What will success look like for Real Madrid this season?

The good news is that things at Madrid can't really get a whole lot worse. The bad news is that the team's star-studded lineup — it boasts players like Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe alongside Vini, Valverde and Tchouameni — will be underperforming if it does anything less than excel in all competitions. Madrid needs to win, and Madrid needs to win calmly. Anything else would be a major disappointment.

Which players have arrived?

Playmaker Bernardo Silva arrived on a free transfer from Manchester City; he's a bit past his prime, but he's a workhorse player who will add real value. Defenders Marc Cucurella and Denzel Dumfries arrived from Chelsea and Inter Milan respectively, and winger Yan Diomande — one of the most exciting young talents on earth — arrived from RB Leipzig.

@bundesliga Wishing you all the best in Madrid #bundesliga #fussball #Diomande #RealMadrid ♬ Epic uplifting music - Makoto Hiramatsu

Which players have departed?

Longtime club stalwarts Dani Ceballos, Dani Carvajal and David Alaba were released at the end of the 2025-26 season, and young Argentine star Franco Mastantuono was shipped off to Fiorentina on loan. The rest of Madrid's major players remain present and correct.

Which players might come or go in the next few weeks?

There aren't many arrival rumors: The club pushed for Manchester City's Rodri, Bayern Munich's Michael Olise and Arsenal's Martin Zubimendi earlier in the summer, but its interest in all three has cooled.

Its departures, though, could be significant. Turkish wunderkind Arda Guler has been the subject of several significant bids; he's never been Madrid's favorite and would benefit from a transfer. Brazilian attacker Endrick is also on the market after his strong loan spell with Lyon last season.

Madrid will kick off its 2026-27 season on Saturday, Aug. 22 against Espanyol.

Alyssa Clang

Alyssa is a Boston-born Californian with a passion for global sport. She can yell about misplaced soccer passes in five languages and rattle off the turns of Silverstone in her sleep. You can find her dormant Twitter account at @alyssaclang, but honestly, you’re probably better off finding her here

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