Real Madrid names Valverde first captain, Vinicius second, Courtois third, Rodrygo fourth

Hupu Football News — July 16

According to As, following Carvajal's departure, Real Madrid's new captaincy order for the upcoming season has been confirmed: Federico Valverde becomes first captain, followed by Vinicius Jr., Thibaut Courtois, and Rodrygo in that order.

After returning to Valdebebas, José Mourinho observed numerous new faces and changes. He has been staying there recently and has already begun preparations for the 2026-27 season. Notably, the main equipment managers from his first stint at Real Madrid are no longer present; Jorge Casabella and Manolin Ortega, the two heads, retired this summer.

Currently, only eight first-team players have reported for training, with a large number of youth players participating. Éder Militão, Ferland Mendy, and Rodrygo continue their rehabilitation. For the Portuguese coach, everything feels unfamiliar, including the club's new captaincy order. On his first day back, Mourinho met two of the captains: Courtois was undergoing tests to assess the injury he suffered in the World Cup quarterfinal against Spain, while Rodrygo is still recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament and lateral meniscus in his right leg.

Valverde Promoted to First Captain

With last season's first captain Carvajal leaving, Real Madrid's new captaincy order is:

• Federico Valverde — First captain
• Vinicius Jr. — Second captain
• Thibaut Courtois — Third captain
• Rodrygo — Fourth captain

Notably, due to conflicts with former coach Xabi Alonso last season, both Valverde and Vinicius faced criticism from some fans, yet they are now the top two captains in Real Madrid's dressing room.

Following Real Madrid's tradition of determining captaincy based on seniority, Valverde has been promoted to first captain. As early as July 27, 2022, in a friendly against Club América, the Uruguayan wore the Real Madrid captain's armband for the first time. In the 2024-25 season, he captained the team for the first time in an official match against Leganés, scoring in a 3-0 victory.

This fulfills a wish he expressed in 2023: "I must maintain the attitude I had before the Qatar World Cup, communicate with those who help me, continue along this path, and eventually become captain—that's what I want." Now, he has achieved it.

Valverde signed with Real Madrid in May 2016 and officially joined from Peñarol in July of the same year after turning 18. Born on July 22, 1998, he arrived in Madrid on July 28, 2016. In his first season, he played for Real Madrid Castilla, then was loaned to Deportivo La Coruña in the 2017-18 season. Since 2018, he has been a first-team member, and the new season will be his ninth consecutive season with the senior squad.

Last season, Valverde was involved in several controversies:

• Warming up in his own way in Almaty
• Refusing to play as a right-back despite having done so under Carlo Ancelotti
• Multiple conflicts with Xabi Alonso
• A heated argument with teammate Aurélien Tchouaméni

Mourinho still sees him as a key player, hoping his diligence, fighting spirit, and strong sense of responsibility will help him rediscover the excellent form he showed under Zidane and Ancelotti. These three qualities have never been questioned.

Vinicius's Captaincy Also Rises

Vinicius and Courtois both joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2018, but due to their different debut dates, Vinicius ranks ahead of the Belgian goalkeeper as second captain.

Before the summer of 2025, Courtois was the fifth captain, and Vinicius was sixth. Although Courtois made his first-team debut earlier, the club later decided to make Vinicius the third captain and Courtois the fourth.

Several reasons explain this arrangement:

• Real Madrid signed Vinicius as early as May 2017, but he only came to Madrid after turning 18, officially debuting on July 20, 2018.
• Courtois's signing was announced on August 8, 2018.
• After new rules allowed only captains to communicate with referees, the club preferred field players over goalkeepers, as it is more inconvenient for a goalkeeper to frequently approach the referee.

Like Valverde, Vinicius faced criticism from some fans last season due to conflicts with Xabi Alonso. During a Clásico at the Bernabéu, he even threatened to leave after being substituted. Subsequently, Real Madrid experienced Xabi Alonso's dismissal and Álvaro Arbeloa's appointment, but the team remained lost, ultimately winning no trophies that season.

Source: As

International Football News

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