​Real Madrid have officially kicked off their pre-season preparations, though several first-team players remain away as they compete at the World Cup. With a number of internationals still abroad—either continuing in the tournament or taking a break after their elimination—the squad will be gradually reinforced in the coming weeks as players complete their mandatory rest periods before rejoining Jose Mourinho’s side.
According to Mundo Deportivo, the earliest rejoiners will be Arda Guler and Federico Valverde, whose nations were eliminated during the group stage. The expected return dates are July 17 for Guler and July 18 for Valverde, making them the first World Cup participants to report back to Valdebebas.
Dumfries is set to join pre-season training within a week. Antonio Rudiger is scheduled to return on July 21, the same day that new signing Denzel Dumfries, who arrived from Inter Milan, is also expected to be present with the squad. The report suggests the new signing could be officially unveiled as a Real Madrid player on that very date.
The next wave of arrivals is anticipated around July 27, when Brazilian duo Endrick and Vinicius Jr. will join the pre-season camp. In addition, another new signing, Bernardo Silva, is pencilled in to report on July 28, with a potential on-the-day presentation.
Later in the schedule, Brahim Diaz is expected back on July 31, followed by Thibaut Courtois, whose injury suffered in the quarter-finals against Spain does not appear to be serious, with a return date of August 1. All of these players are returning after their World Cup exits before the semi-finals and will come back in line with the club’s recovery plan.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid still have five representatives continuing in the tournament’s final stages: Marc Cucurella for Spain, Kylian Mbappe, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Ibrahima Konate for France, and Jude Bellingham for England. As the World Cup progresses, these players will be the last to return to training.
Players whose national teams advance to the semifinals are expected to come back on August 5, while any Real Madrid stars reaching the World Cup final on July 19 will rejoin Mourinho’s squad on August 10 after their post-tournament break. The staggered return means Mourinho will begin pre-season with a reduced squad, supplemented by academy talent and recently signed players, gradually building toward a full squad ahead of the new campaign. The final World Cup participants are not anticipated back until early August, as the club coordinates a careful reintroduction of all internationals into the squad. This phased approach aims to ensure players are match-ready while respecting recovery protocols, setting Real Madrid up for a strong start to the season.