Real Madrid completed another day of preseason preparations at Valdebebas on Wednesday, with José Mourinho continuing to put his squad through an intense training schedule as the team builds toward the start of the 2026-27 campaign.
The session marked the club’s third training day of the second week of preseason and included the return of Federico Valverde, who has rejoined the squad following his participation at the FIFA World Cup.
As has become customary during preseason, the morning began with
gym work before the players headed out onto the training pitches at Real Madrid City alongside several Castilla and academy players.
Once on the field, the squad completed a series of possession exercises, ball circulation drills, and combination passing sequences before moving into finishing work. The session concluded with shooting exercises and a number of small-sided matches designed to maintain the high intensity Mourinho has demanded since taking charge.
Meanwhile, Ferland Mendy, Éder Militão, and Rodrygo continued their respective recovery programs as they work toward returning to full training.
Valverde’s arrival continues the gradual reintegration of Real Madrid’s World Cup participants. Arda Güler was the first to return earlier this week after enjoying nearly a month of vacation following the tournament, while Antonio Rüdiger and new signing Denzel Dumfries are also expected to join the group during the week.
Dumfries’ arrival will be one of the major storylines of preseason. The Dutch international is set to begin working under Mourinho for the first time after completing his move to the club, with the coaching staff expected to evaluate how he fits into the competition for the right-back position alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold.
For now, Güler is the only returning World Cup player expected to play significant minutes in the opening preseason friendlies as the rest of the international contingent gradually rebuilds their fitness.
Mourinho’s demanding approach has already become one of the defining themes of preseason. The Portuguese coach has frequently been seen closely monitoring every drill, stopwatch in hand, while working alongside new fitness coach António Dias to raise the squad’s physical standards.
According to reports from Spain, academy striker Gonzalo has been among the standout performers during the opening weeks of training thanks to his physical condition.
The coming friendlies will provide the first real indication of how Mourinho’s ideas are taking shape. Real Madrid are scheduled to face Leganés behind closed doors on July 28 before another private friendly against Alcorcón later this week at Valdebebas. The club will then continue preparations with a meeting against Fiorentina in Klagenfurt on August 1, while another preseason fixture in Northern Europe is still expected to be announced.
The coaching staff will also have to carefully manage the late return of several key players who reached the latter stages of the World Cup. Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, Marc Cucurella, Aurélien Tchouaméni, and Ibrahima Konaté are all expected to have limited preparation time before the La Liga season begins.
At the same time, Real Madrid continue to monitor the transfer market. The club remains linked with another central defender and a creative midfielder before the transfer window closes, although Mourinho is reportedly preparing contingency plans should those reinforcements not arrive.
