Real Madrid come into the 2025–26 season with a new manager, four high-profile signings and a point to prove.
Everything that could go wrong for Real Madrid went wrong last campaign. The Spanish giants failed to defend their La Liga, Champions League and Spanish Super Cup titles, lost four Clásicos and suffered a defensive injury crisis.
Patience is running thin in the Spanish capital. There are certain expectations that come with wearing a white shirt, and few players performed to the standard of the badge last season. Carlo Ancelotti even lost his job in the process.
Now with the disappointing 2024–25 season in the past, Los Blancos are starting fresh under new boss Xabi Alonso. The pressure is on the Spaniard to bring silverware back to Real Madrid, especially after the club spent €178 million ($207.6 million) this summer to improve its already star-studded squad.
Los Blancos already stumbled at the FIFA Club World Cup, but the real test starts in 2025–26.
What Real Madrid Hope to Achieve
It goes without saying that Real Madrid are looking to reclaim their dominance in both Europe and Spain. Completing another season without at least one major trophy is not an option for Los Blancos.
Although Real Madrid would love to top both the Champions League and La Liga, they will undoubtedly settle for just one. After all, they are operating under a new manager and come into the 2025–26 season with their youngest squad in over a decade. Not to mention Vinícius Júnior has yet to rediscover his Ballon d’Or-worthy form since Kylian Mbappé’s arrival.
Outside of silverware, the club will have getting revenge on Barcelona high on their list of priorities. The Catalans walked away with four Clásico victories last season, defeating Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final, the Copa del Rey final and twice in La Liga.
Yes, stealing the Spanish crown from Barcelona remains the main domestic objective for Los Blancos, but beating their biggest rivals in El Clásico is a close second.
Key Fixture Dates
El Clásico takes center stage for Real Madrid. The Spanish giants first host Barcelona at the end of October and then are headed to Catalonia for the reverse fixture in May. Much like last season, both matches could ultimately decide the La Liga title.
The Madrid derby is another match that could have silverware implications. There are few harder places for Los Blancos to play at than the Metropolitano, and Alonso’s men are headed there in September. Real Madrid will get their chance to face off with their neighbors at the Santiago Bernabéu in March.
Clashes with Athletic Bilbao and Real Betis are difficult for Real Madrid as well, along with a trip to the Mestalla, where chaos always seems to unfold.
Major Signings
Trent Alexander-Arnold headlines the four stars Real Madrid signed this summer. The 26-year-old bid farewell to to his boyhood club Liverpool to join fellow England teammate Jude Bellingham at the biggest club in the world.
The fullback is one of three defensive reinforcements that made the move to the Spanish capital after Los Blancos conceded 84 goals across all competitions last season. Dean Huijsen inked a five-year deal with Real Madrid following a breakout campaign for Bournemouth. Much like Alexander-Arnold, the 20-year-old instantly became part of Alonso’s XI at the Club World Cup.
Álvaro Carreras rounds out Los Blancos’ new-look backline. The Spaniard will compete with Ferland Mendy and Fran García for the starting job on the left flank.
Franco Mastantuono, meanwhile, is the only attacking reinforcement Real Madrid welcomed this summer. The teenager, widely regarded as one of the most exciting young talents in the sport, is expected to fill in for the injured Bellingham as the club’s new No. 10 to kick off the season.
Breakout Stars
Arda Güler is poised to have a breakout year in a white shirt. After two seasons of being largely overlooked by Carlo Ancelotti, Güler is in for more responsibilities under Alonso. The Türkiye international has started Real Madrid’s last six matches and is set to become a staple of the tea’s midfield.
Güler’s clinical passing, set-piece delivery and vision in the final third make him the perfect candidate to fill the Luka Modrić-shaped hole in the team’s midfield. Plus, his left foot brings the additional threat of a screamer from long range.
Huijsen will also star for Real Madrid. The Spaniard already showed his class in the United States this summer, helping Real Madrid look more defensively sound in five matches than they had all of last season.
Beyond his ability to play in a back four or a back three, Huijsen is already Los Blancos’ best defender with the ball at his feet. From his Toni Kroos-esque long balls to his calm build-up play, the center back is a versatile weapon for Real Madrid, one they have been missing in their backline for years.
Season Prediction
If Alonso proved one thing during his time at Bayer Leverkusen, it was that he knows how to grind out results week in and week out to win a league. Under the Spaniard’s leadership, Real Madrid’s star-studded team have what it takes to dethrone Barcelona. After all, the Catalans only won La Liga by four points last season, and Real Madrid were playing through a shambolic injury crisis.
It is hard to envision Los Blancos having the same success in Europe against the best clubs in the world. They were throttled 4–0 by Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup and simply do not have the team cohesion needed to win the Champions League. Real Madrid still have the quality to make it far along in the competition, though.
As for the Copa del Rey, Los Blancos more often than not crash out of the tournament in the early stages. With their focus so heavily on La Liga and the Champions League, the competition is typically not a priority for the Spanish giants. They have just one Copa del Rey title in the last decade.
The Spanish Super Cup, on the other hand, consists of just a semifinal and a final. Real Madrid will like their chances of getting past Atlético Madrid in the semifinals, but Barcelona have the head-to-head advantage in the final.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Real Madrid 2025–26 Season Preview: Xabi Alonso Takes Talents to La Liga.
