Mourinho's preseason dilemma: World Cup halves Real Madrid squad

Real Madrid’s preseason will kick off on 13 July, marking the start of Jose Mourinho’s second spell at the white club and the first training session of his new era. Mourinho now faces a major hurdle, as the upcoming World Cup 2026 will leave him with only 13 of his 28 first‑team players available for that initial camp. While most football followers will be glued to the World Cup, Real Madrid supporters are already counting down to the 13 July training start. The Portuguese manager himself is said to be quite excited for the arrival of that date. The 2026 World Cup will restrict Mourinho’s squad to roughly half of his first‑team roster, with only 13 of the 28 players able to join the preseason. Among those 13, the futures of six players—Eduardo Camavinga, Raul Asencio, Gonzalo Garcia, Fran Garcia, Franco Mastantuono and Thiago Pitarch—remain undecided.

Mourinho’s staggered start at Real Madrid amid World Cup chaos

Mourinho has not yet made decisions regarding the six uncertain players. He can rely on seven confirmed first‑team members: Trent Alexander‑Arnold, Alvaro Carreras, Andriy Lunin, Ferland Mendy, Dean Huijsen, Rodrygo Goes and Eder Militao. Two Brazilian players will also miss the opening camp while recovering from injuries, and Arda Guler and Federico Valverde are not expected back before 20 July. A player whose national side reaches the World Cup final would only resume training on 10 August, just five days before La Liga begins. The final is scheduled for 19 July. Mourinho recently remarked that he would prefer his Real Madrid players’ national teams to lose in the tournament, despite the controversial nature of the statement.