José Mourinho is set to officially take over as Real Madrid head coach in the coming days.

The date of Mourinho’s official presentation as Real Madrid’s new head coach has not yet been announced, but one thing is certain: he will return to work this Monday at Valdebebas with a reduced squad. Players who participated in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including those already eliminated, will rejoin the team gradually over the coming weeks.

The good news is that Real Madrid will have at least several World Cup semifinalists and at least one finalist. As a result, the start of the La Liga season has been postponed by one week, giving the Madrid coach additional time to work with his squad.

For now, the club has not released its full preseason schedule, but one official date is already known for one of José Mourinho’s first matches back in charge of Real Madrid: Aug. 12 at 9 p.m. local time.

Real Madrid will take part in the Teresa Herrera Trophy, hosted every summer by Deportivo La Coruña. It is a traditional match, similar to the Santiago Bernabéu Trophy, which Real Madrid has not staged since the start of the stadium’s renovation.

Los Blancos participated in the Teresa Herrera Trophy in 2013 under Carlo Ancelotti, and the 2026 edition will mark the club’s 10th appearance in the competition. Madrid has won the tournament every time it has participated, with only the host club lifting the trophy more often (26 titles).

The main objective of the match is to fine-tune the team’s preparation. With the opening round of La Liga, originally scheduled for Aug. 14-16, postponed by one week, the club has room to add another preseason match. Additional dates are expected to be announced soon.

In other news, Mourinho has reportedly made an important decision regarding an issue the team faced last season.

According to reports from Spain, the Portuguese manager has decided to keep Federico Valverde as the team’s captain for the upcoming campaign.

As a reminder, Valverde was involved in a controversy during the 2025-26 season following an on-field altercation with French midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, who, according to reports, is also expected to remain at the club.

It will be interesting to see how Real Madrid’s midfield is structured next season. Since the departures of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, the club has lacked a midfielder capable of dictating play and controlling the tempo of matches, much like Vitinha does for Paris Saint-Germain or Pedri for Barcelona.

Real Madrid signed Bernardo Silva on a free transfer after the expiration of his Manchester City contract, but the Portuguese midfielder endured a hugely disappointing FIFA World Cup, raising questions about whether he can fill that role heading into the new campaign.

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