Jose Mourinho “has no doubts” about Real Madrid captain Federico Valverde | OneFootball

After less than two weeks, the 2026 World Cup is already over for Real Madrid captain Federico Valverde. His Uruguay side were disappointingly dumped out of the tournament at the group stages following a 1-0 defeat to Spain on Friday, meaning he will soon return to the Spanish capital ahead of starting pre-season next month.

Valverde’s performances in North America were far from his best level, and given that he went into the World Cup while being in a tough moment at club level, there’s little doubt that he will be a player under pressure when the start of the 2026-27 season comes around in August, especially as his place in the Real Madrid starting line-up could be under threat.

However, MD have now reported that new Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho does not see things this way. He has no doubts about Valverde, whom he plans to give a key role in the Real Madrid line-up next season.

Valverde comes out Tchouameni spat in good shape

Valverde’s 2025-26 season ended in difficulty after he was involved in a spat with Real Madrid teammate Aurelien Tchouameni. He suffered a concussion after the pair came to blows, with the club issuing huge fines to both – and while the incident itself is now behind everything, the Uruguayan is the one to come out pretty much unscathed, as it has been reported that Tchouameni could be sold this summer if certain conditions are met.

As for Valverde, he will be going nowhere. Real Madrid are backing him despite a difficult few months, and the same can be said for Mourinho. All involved are hoping that he can return to his best level during the 2026-27 campaign, as Los Blancos aim to put two seasons without major trophies behind them very quickly.