Unlike their biggest rivals Barcelona, Real Madrid are not scheduled to play any friendlies ahead of the 2025–26 season.
The clock is ticking down to the start of Real Madrid’s first La Liga campaign under Xabi Alonso. The pressure is on the new boss to lead his team back to championship glory after Los Blancos failed to defend their Spanish and European titles last season.
Typically, Real Madrid would compete in multiple preseason matches to prepare for the campaign that awaits them. This summer, though, the club does not have a single friendly in August before they kick off the 2025–26 season.
Since Real Madrid played in the FIFA Club World Cup, they will not participate in any preseason fixtures this summer. After taking part in 68 matches across all competitions last campaign, the players are using this time to rest and recover.
The Club World Cup essentially served as Los Blancos’ preseason, but with the elevated stakes of competing for a trophy alongside some of the best teams in the world. Real Madrid played six matches in their run to the semifinals, battling against the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain.
New signings Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen made their debuts in the newly expanded tournament, as they would have in any other preseason match. Alonso also played many of the club’s young stars at the Club World Cup, including Gonzalo García, who went on to win the competition’s Golden Boot with four goals in six appearances.
The experience the team gained in the United States is likely much more valuable than playing normal preseason friendlies against lesser opponents.
The downside is that now when Real Madrid take on Osasuna on Aug. 19 in their opening match of the 2025–26 season, they will have not played a game in six weeks.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Real Madrid Aren’t Playing Any Preseason Games This Summer.