Clearly, the La Liga-Champions League double from last season wasn’t enough to satisfy Real Madrid, a club that has now added French national team captain Kylian Mbappé to an already stellar lineup. This move underscores Los Blancos’ ambition for another title-laden campaign. Under the calm leadership of Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid reclaimed the Spanish title from their eternal rivals Barcelona with clear dominance and secured their 15th record-extending Champions League victory—their sixth in the last 11 seasons. As they kick off their season in Warsaw against Europa League champions Atalanta for the UEFA Super Cup, Real Madrid appears even stronger this year.
Mbappé, 25, joined Real Madrid on a free transfer from Paris St Germain with a five-year contract in June, ending a long-running transfer saga. The French superstar has won six Ligue 1 titles and four French Cups with PSG and became their all-time top scorer with 256 goals in seven years in Paris. However, Mbappé has yet to win a Champions League or Ballon d’Or, and his quest for glory now lies with Los Blancos for the years to come.
Real Madrid’s hopes of claiming glory once again rest on Coach Carlo Ancelotti. As the most successful manager in Champions League history with five titles, Ancelotti has professionally managed a club constantly under pressure to maintain the highest global standards. Even after the departures of Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Karim Benzema, and Casemiro, the 65-year-old coach has kept Real Madrid’s momentum going. Now, he faces another challenge in replacing midfielder Toni Kroos, who recently retired after Euro 2024.
Ancelotti’s biggest headache is deciding whom to exclude from the starting lineup. Experience-wise, he can rely on veterans like Dani Carvajal, Luka Modric, Antonio Rüdiger, and Thibaut Courtois, while the future is shaped by emerging talents such as 19-year-old Turkish midfielder Arda Güler and 18-year-old Brazilian prodigy Endrick. Brazilian winger Vinicius Jr. and England’s playmaker Jude Bellingham continue to lead this new era, while Rodrygo, Brahim Díaz, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Eduardo Camavinga, Éder Militão, and Federico Valverde are all at their peak.
