Real Madrid News and Analysis

An early look at the 10 best candidates to win the 2025 Ballon d’Or

9Sep

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Champions League, Features

An early look at the 10 best candidates to win the 2025 Ballon d’Or

I always find it funny how the Ballon d'Or narrative changes over the course of a year - or season, now that the timeframe of the award has changed. Like, when the 2023/24 season first started, all anyone could do was praise Jude Bellingham for taking LaLiga by storm, putting Real Madrid back on top, and scoring bangers in El Clasico to help affirm Real's return to dominance. The guy was leading the league in goals as a midfielder, and while his performances did decline a bit in the second half of the season, we are talking about a decline from being by far the best player in Europe to "just" being great. And it's not like Bellingham was bad at the Euros either. England almost won it, and he was literally the best player in the Final which England came agonizingly close to winning...

Why Real Madrid aren’t going to sign Jamal Musiala or Florian Wirtz

8Sep

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

Why Real Madrid aren’t going to sign Jamal Musiala or Florian Wirtz

Real Madrid have traditionally approached the summer transfer window with the idea that they want to sign the biggest superstar in world football, unless if there is nobody who qualifies as a big superstar, they are currently working to sign that superstar in a later window, or they have no space in their squad to even feasibly accommodate another top player. In 2019, Real Madrid signed Eden Hazard from Chelsea. In 2020, they didn't sign anyone because of the pandemic. In 2021, they thought they had Kylian Mbappe signed. In 2022, they also thought they had Kylian Mbappe signed. In 2023, they signed Jude Bellingham knowing they wouldn't be able to sign Kylian Mbappe that summer. And in 2024, they finally signed Kylian Mbappe. Even though Florentino Perez just snagged his "white whale"...

Rodrygo Goes in his new role is the unselfish X-Factor for Real Madrid

7Sep

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

Rodrygo Goes in his new role is the unselfish X-Factor for Real Madrid

As much as the discussion around the Real Madrid attack has focused on Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe changing their respective games to make the club even stronger after Mbappe's move from PSG, perhaps the dialogue should begin to center around right winger Rodrygo Goes. Rodrygo isn't in the forefront of the Ballon d'Or conversation like Vinicius Jr., nor is he a former World Cup winner who is now the highest-paid player at Real Madrid after ending a transfer saga years in the making - that would be Mbappe. But Rodrygo, to this early point in the 2024/25 LaLiga season, has been arguably more impressive than either of his two teammates in the Real Madrid starting attacking trident. Rodrygo carved Real Betis up from the right wing in a 2-0 win, setting up the opening goal with a...

Vinicius Junior has already adjusted for Kylian Mbappe

6Sep

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

Vinicius Junior has already adjusted for Kylian Mbappe

Real Madrid left winger Vinicius Junior is the favorite to win the 2024 Ballon d'Or above his highly-rated teammates, and that is precisely because of his ability to rise to the occasion on the grandest stage of them all, the Champions League. In both of his Champions League triumphs, Vinicius Jr. has been THE standout attacking player on the pitch, creating havoc and bamboozling defenses with his electrifying dribbling. Although he was once derided for his finishing as a young Real Madrid player, Vinicius Jr. has scored double-digit goals in three different LaLiga seasons, including 15 in under 2,000 minutes last season as apart of a two-man attack after Karim Benzema's departure to Saudi Arabia. Vinicius Jr. proved he could lead Real Madrid to a Champions League crown without Be...

Fede Valverde is Zinedine Zidane’s lasting gift to Real Madrid

5Sep

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

Fede Valverde is Zinedine Zidane’s lasting gift to Real Madrid

Real Madrid center midfielder Fede Valverde is having a phenomenal start to the 2024/25 season, continuing his trend of steadily getting even better with each passing campaign. Now 26 years old, Valverde is no longer an ascending young player. He is a leader in the prime of his career, entrusted with being a beacon of consistency and a steadying presence in the middle of the park. Even as Real's results to start the 2024/25 LaLiga campaign haven't been optimal, Valverde himself has never wavered, helping keep Real Madrid at least undefeated. Valverde has been the club's best player to start the season, rising above the hype of Kylian Mbappe, the scrutiny of the attack, and the shadow of Toni Kroos' retirement to make that prestigious No. 8 jersey proud. As we appreciate how Val...

Is Kylian Mbappe going to be Karim Benzema or Cristiano Ronaldo?

4Sep

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

Is Kylian Mbappe going to be Karim Benzema or Cristiano Ronaldo?

New Real Madrid superstar forward Kylian Mbappe got on the scoresheet for the first time as a Madridista on Sunday, putting both goals in the back of the net in a 2-0 win over Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabeu. You could almost feel the collective sigh of relief from the home fans through the screen when Mbappe scored the first, latching onto a world-class backheel from midfielder Fede Valverde to dispatch a straightforward finish - one he had seen his idol Cristiano Ronaldo replicate hundreds of times at the Bernabeu before him. We all know Mbappe emulates Cristiano. From his celebration to his chop to his style of cutting inside from the left wing, Mbappe plays like Cristiano and even tries to act like him, performing many of the same gestures as CR7 did on his Bernabeu presentat...

LaLiga manager takes brutal shot at Real Madrid’s tactics in comparison to Barcelona’s

31Aug

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

LaLiga manager takes brutal shot at Real Madrid’s tactics in comparison to Barcelona’s

Although Real Madrid tore Real Valladolid apart in the second half of a 3-0 win, it took them some time to get going. Furthermore, it has been Real's only win to this point in the LaLiga season after three games. The new-look attack with blockbuster signing Kylian Mbappe has looked worse than last year's iteration, with Mbappe cutting a frustrated - and often selfish - figure up top, failing to connect with his more successful teammates, Rodrygo Goes and Vinicius Junior. Real Madrid drew 1-1 to both Mallorca and Las Palmas, and with Barcelona putting together a commanding 7-0 display against Real Valladolid reminiscent of LaLiga of 10 years ago, the Blaugrana suddenly look like the stronger side. After Barcelona decimated Valladolid in a vintage Hansi Flick coaching display, Real ...

Kylian Mbappe is only Real Madrid’s second-biggest problem right now

29Aug

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

Kylian Mbappe is only Real Madrid’s second-biggest problem right now

Real Madrid are having a very rough start to the 2024/25 LaLiga season. Although a ferocious first half helped the Merengue club secure all three points over Real Valladolid, they were unable to defeat Las Palmas or Mallorca. Out of three easy matches, Real Madrid have procured just around half (five) the points, drawing 1-1 to both Mallorca and Las Palmas in matches they honestly deserved to lose. The most recent match was particularly humbling, with Real Madrid performing woefully in the first half, with slow starts almost becoming an early hallmark of this year's Carlo Ancelotti-coached side. After another lethargic, goalless game from Kylian Mbappe, all the headlines are focused on the highly-paid free agent signing, and it is fair to begin to wonder if Real Madrid aren't any ...

Former Real Madrid and Barcelona attackers could unite in LaLiga

27Aug

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

Former Real Madrid and Barcelona attackers could unite in LaLiga

Former Real Madrid, Porto, Monaco, and Everton star James Rodriguez put himself back on the map in European football with a summer for the ages at Copa America, showing, once again, why he is one of the best players in the world on the international stage. The Colombian playmaker was the best player of the tournament, leading his country to the final against Argentina, where they pitched Lionel Messi and Co. to their limit. Now, James will be returning to LaLiga, embarking on what will likely be his final chapter in European football, returning from a nondescript time in South America to become the latest big name to join Rayo Vallecano, following in the footsteps of former club and national teammate Radamel Falcao. But James may not be the only big-name attacker from one of Spani...

FC25 snubs Vinicius Jr. in favor of Manchester City star

26Aug

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features, LaLiga, Premier League

FC25 snubs Vinicius Jr. in favor of Manchester City star

Real Madrid left winger Vinicius Junior had himself another fantastic year, winning LaLiga and the Champions League for the third and second time in his career, respectively. The fleet-footed Brazilian has become the main creative and secondary goal-scoring threat for Real Madrid, providing the Merengue club with his best performances in the Champions League. This past season, Vinicius Jr. scored 6 goals with 4 assists in 10 Champions League appearances, averaging exactly a goal contribution per game in world football's premier competition. He also averaged 3.7 dribbles completed, 1.9 key passes, and 1.4 fouls drawn in the Champions League, adding a further 15 goals and 5 assists across 26 LaLiga appearances (22 starts). It was a banner year for Vinicius Jr., whose sheer qualit...