Real Madrid 2025-26 Season Preview: Daunting task awaits Xabi Alonso as new Blancos boss looks to get Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr & Co. back to the top

Real Madrid are supposed to win the lot every season. And yet, over the course of the 2024-25 campaign, they looked pretty mediocre by their own lofty standards, going trophy-less (unless you count the UEFA Super Cup or FIFA’s Intercontinetal Cup). That disappointment led to Carlo Ancelotti being shown the door, with Xabi Alonso installed as his replacement ahead of what proved to be an underwhelming Club World Cup for Los Blancos. 

There is, however, belief around Santiago Bernabeu that things can turn around. Alonso is one of the brightest young coaching minds in the game, a proven winner in Germany, and has the kind of tactical nous to make sense of the puzzle that is Madrid’s star-studded squad. 

Restoring glory to Europe’s most successful club will be no mean feat, though. Not only are there the usual pressures of being Real Madrid to deal with, but defending Spanish champions Barcelona are again looking mightily good under the tutelage of Hansi Flick. So how will Madrid fare in 2025-25? GOAL aims to answer all the big questions heading into Tuesday’s opening La Liga game against Osasuna…