Sports

What we learned from Jose Mourinho’s first Real Madrid match of his second spell

Published

58 minutes ago

July 25, 2026

Jose Mourinho has officially taken charge of the first match of his second spell as Real Madrid head coach… sort of.

Whether or not it was a training fixture or simply a behind-closed-doors friendly match, The Athletic was there for the first 23 minutes — and found out more details as to how the rest of the game went.

The Athletic’s Guillermo Rai answers the big questions after Friday’s game below.

What happened on Friday?

Friday marked Jose Mourinho’s first game back in charge of Real Madrid, albeit with a few caveats.

The club treated it as a training fixture, allowing only accredited media to attend and broadcasting just the opening 23 minutes on the club’s television channel.

While we are still awaiting his official unveiling and first press conference, it nevertheless offered a first glimpse of Mourinho’s new side.

On a hot summer afternoon, with thick smoke from a wildfire in the region hanging over Madrid’s training ground Valdebebas and the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium, Madrid laboured to a 1-0 win over Spanish third-tier side Alcorcon.

The only goal came from Castilla winger Daniel Yanez, who won and converted a penalty.

Which players were involved?

Mourinho lined his side up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Andriy Lunin in goal; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Raul Asencio, Dean Huijsen and Alvaro Carreras across the back; Eduardo Camavinga and academy midfielder Jorge Cestero in the double pivot; Arda Guler as the No 10; Franco Mastantuono and academy winger Gabri Valero on the flanks; and Gonzalo Garcia leading the line.

Of the 12 academy players who were called up to first-team training two weeks ago, only Cestero and Valero started.

Why should you follow Real Madrid after the World Cup?

Guillermo Rai

Valero, 18, has been one of the standout performers for Madrid’s Under-19s in the UEFA Youth League and has been attracting attention for months with his fearless, dribble-first style. It did not take long for him to show those qualities.

Cestero, meanwhile, is 20 and was already a regular for Castilla — their reserve team — last season, while also making his first-team debut. Like Valero, he also played a key role in Madrid’s Youth League campaign, operating as the team’s holding midfielder. Whether he remains at the club or moves elsewhere in search of regular senior football is still to be decided.

For the second half, Mourinho handed almost the entire game over to players from Castilla and the Under-19 squad.

Madrid’s players line up before the game (Javier Soriano/AFP via Getty Images)

Were there any notable absentees?

Yes. Madrid were still without many of the players who featured at the World Cup, with 13 members of that group omitted: Thibaut Courtois, Denzel Dumfries, Antonio Rudiger, Ibrahima Konate, Marc Cucurella, Aurelien Tchouameni, Jude Bellingham, Fede Valverde, Bernardo Silva, Brahim Diaz, Vinicius Junior, Endrick and Kylian Mbappe.

Long-term absentees Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy and Rodrygo were also unavailable.

Valverde, who returned from his summer break on Monday, watched from the stands alongside Militao and Rodrygo. Nearby, club executives, staff members and relatives of several players followed the match from the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium’s main stand.

The next player expected to report for pre-season is new signing Dumfries, who is due to join the squad and be officially unveiled next week.

How did Mourinho appear to be? Did he speak at all?

Mourinho kept everyone waiting.

During the warm-up, it briefly looked as though he would not emerge from the tunnel at all. When he finally did, he immediately became the focus of every camera at the ground.

He stepped on to the pitch, folded his arms, and the first words heard from him were: “Tension, tension!”

Both Mourinho and his coaching staff were highly animated during the warm-up — something sources at Valdebebas, who, like all of those spoken to for this article, spoke to The Athletic under the condition of anonymity to protect relationships, say has been a constant feature throughout pre-season training.

Once the game began, however, he barely left the bench, instead watching proceedings calmly without many visible gestures.

Did we learn anything about Mourinho’s tactical plans for Madrid?

Not much, given how little of the match was open to the public, but one early takeaway was that Guler continues to occupy an important role.

The No 10 position appears to suit him, as it did under Xabi Alonso, and he also seems increasingly comfortable taking responsibility.

Inside two minutes, the Turkey international asked to take a penalty that Madrid won, although he failed to convert it. He was also heavily involved in the team’s few passages of possession shown on the broadcast.

More generally, Madrid looked to build from the back and use both flanks, although the tempo remained low.

Those present for the full match described the performance as underwhelming, with little fluency, several tactical flaws and a lack of sharpness in possession. At the same time, they stressed that such issues are to be expected this early in pre-season.

Sources within Madrid’s coaching staff also pointed to the physical workload of the past two weeks, saying the players were naturally feeling the effects of an especially demanding training schedule, but they were satisfied with their performance.

One player who caught the eye was Mastantuono.

The Argentinian won Madrid’s first penalty after driving in from the right wing, beating two defenders before being brought down. Even so, he still looked short of full match fitness, while his long-term role in the team remains to be determined.

Alexander-Arnold battling for the ball (Javier Soriano/AFP via Getty Images)

Why hasn’t Mourinho been unveiled yet?

That remains unclear.

Many expected Mourinho to be officially presented shortly after his first planning meeting on June 9 with chief executive Jose Angel Sanchez and head of scouting Juni Calafat at Madrid’s Santo Mauro Hotel.

Instead, that never happened.

Even then, sources close to Mourinho were already suggesting there would be no formal unveiling. Club sources still have not indicated if, or when, one will take place.

Sports

Harry Kane heads Ballon d’Or betting with Messi and Yamal in contention

Published

4 minutes ago

July 25, 2026

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Over the past decade, Harry Kane has become one of football’s most prolific goalscorers. He has broken Premier League records, become England’s all-time leading scorer and established himself among the game’s elite. Yet the Ballon d’Or has always remained out of reach.

That could finally be about to change.

The Bayern Munich striker is the 13/10 favourite with Betfair to win football’s most prestigious individual award after enjoying arguably the finest campaign of his career. Goals have never been a problem for Kane, but this season he finally matched his remarkable output with the sort of trophy haul Ballon d’Or voters struggle to ignore.

Kane finished the season with 61 goals in just 51 appearances for Bayern, helping the German side claim the Bundesliga title while also lifting the DFB-Pokal and German Super Cup. Individually, he added the Bundesliga Golden Boot and DFB-Pokal Golden Boot to his collection before carrying that form onto the biggest stage of all.

England ultimately fell short of lifting the World Cup, but Kane enhanced his reputation with six goals during the tournament, once again proving he can deliver under the brightest spotlight. When club and international football are viewed together, few players can match the complete body of work he has put together over the past 12 months.

It is perhaps surprising that Kane has never previously finished on the Ballon d’Or podium.

Throughout his years at Tottenham Hotspur, he consistently produced elite numbers but rarely collected the major honours that often separate winners from the rest. His move to Bayern has changed that equation entirely.

His closest challenger in the betting is Lamine Yamal, who is listed at 9/4 after another extraordinary year. At just 19 years old, the Barcelona winger inspired Spain to World Cup glory while also helping his club win La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup.

Yamal’s influence extends far beyond goals. He scored 24 times and registered 18 assists in 45 appearances for Barcelona, underlining why so many already regard him as the most exciting young footballer in the world. While his numbers cannot match Kane’s, World Cup success could prove a decisive factor when voters cast their ballots.

Lionel Messi also remains firmly in contention. The Argentine looked on course to strengthen his claim for a record-extending ninth Ballon d’Or before Argentina were beaten by Spain in the World Cup final.

Victory in that match might have settled the debate. Instead, Messi must rely on another outstanding campaign with Inter Miami, where he won the MLS Cup, MLS MVP award and MLS Golden Boot. The 39-year-old also scored eight goals at the World Cup, second only to Kylian Mbappe, ensuring he remains among the leading contenders — despite playing outside Europe.

Mbappe himself has another compelling case. The Real Madrid forward finished as both La Liga’s leading scorer and the Champions League Golden Boot winner after scoring 42 goals in just 44 club appearances.

Kylian Mbappe won the World Cup Golden Boot with 10 goals for France. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

However, Real Madrid failed to win a major trophy, while France exited the World Cup in the semi-finals before losing the third-place play-off to England. Mbappe’s individual brilliance is beyond question, but the absence of silverware could ultimately count against him.

Rodri is another player who cannot be ignored. The Manchester City midfielder, who has been linked with a move to Real Madrid, was awarded the Golden Ball as the best player at the World Cup after playing a pivotal role in Spain’s triumph.

Few footballers control matches as consistently as Rodri, and his influence often transcends statistics. However, an injury-disrupted club season means he lacks the domestic achievements enjoyed by Kane and several of the other leading contenders, making a second Ballon d’Or in three years a difficult proposition.

Defending Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele is more of an outside bet this time around. The Paris Saint-Germain forward helped his side win Ligue 1 and the Champions League, scoring in the final against Arsenal before PSG triumphed on penalties.

Dembele also impressed at the World Cup with six goals and two assists, while his return of 20 goals in 40 club appearances would represent an excellent season for most players. In a year in which Kane, Messi, Mbappe and Yamal have all produced extraordinary campaigns, though, it may not be enough to retain his crown.

The Ballon d’Or has usually rewarded players who combine extraordinary individual performances with team success. That is exactly what Kane has finally achieved.

In recent years, the England captain has become viewed as one of football’s greatest players never to win its biggest individual honour. Now, after scoring goals at an astonishing rate, collecting domestic trophies with Bayern and shining once again at the World Cup, he has put himself in the strongest position of his career.

This could be Kane’s year.

Sports

West Ham transfer news: Crysencio Summerville joins Al-Hilal

Published

11 minutes ago

July 25, 2026

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West Ham have confirmed the sale of winger Crysencio Summerville to Saudi club Al-Hilal.

Earlier this week, BBC Sport reported the two clubs had agreed a deal worth £60m – an initial £55m plus a further £5m in add-ons – for the Netherlands international.

Former Leeds player Summerville, 24, spent two seasons with the Hammers, scoring eight goals in 56 appearances.

He scored in five successive outings for West Ham in January and February, but he was part of the team that was relegated from the Premier League in May.

Summerville featured in four of the Netherlands’ matches at the recent World Cup, scoring in group games against Japan and Sweden.

The sale of Summerville brings in additional funds following midfielder Mateus Fernandes’ move to Tottenham Hotspur for £85m earlier this summer.

Sports

Commonwealth Games: Sean McCann, brother of Madeleine, to swim in Glasgow on Saturday

Published

19 minutes ago

July 25, 2026

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Sean McCann – the younger brother of Madeleine McCann – will swim for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Saturday.

The 21-year-old – a Loughborough University student – is entered in the 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle events as he makes his debut at a major championships.

The 400m heats begin on Saturday morning at the Tollcross Swimming Centre.

“I’m very excited. It’s my first senior Games so I’m just looking forward to representing Scotland and doing my absolute best,” McCann told Loughborough University earlier this week, external.

“It’s the pinnacle really of representing Scotland at the Commonwealth Games, especially at a home Games.

“I’ve got lots of family up in Glasgow so that makes it even more special. I was there in 2014 [at the Commonwealth Games], watching as a kid, so to make it now, 12 years later, is really a full-circle moment.”

McCann grew up in England but qualifies to compete for Scotland through his father, Gerry.

He and his twin sister were two years old when Madeleine, then aged three, went missing during a family holiday in Praia Da Luz, Portugal, in 2007.

It became one of the world’s most high-profile missing-person cases and remains an ongoing Metropolitan Police investigation.