Real Madrid News
Official: Three Real Madrid stars called up to Brazil squad, forward misses out
In a little over a week, the final international break of 2024 will arrive and Real Madrid will see a plethora of their star players fly away to represent their national teams.
Ahead of the international break in November, Brazil have already announced their squad for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying matches.
And, manager Dorival Junior has named three players from Real Madrid in the squad, with key stars Vinicius Jr., Rodrygo Goes, and Eder Militao all featuring.
Unfortunately, teenage prodigy Endrick, who has been a regular in the Selecao squad in recent months, misses out after having not played a single minute in Real Madrid’s previous four matches across all competitions.
SELEÇÃO CONVOCADA! 🇧🇷✅ Essa é a lista que Dorival Jr. chamou para os jogos contra Venezuela e Uruguai, pelas #Eliminatórias2026! O que achou? 👀 #SeleçãoBrasileira pic.twitter.com/aG3NnlMaLf
— TNT Sports BR (@TNTSportsBR) November 1, 2024
Vinicius Jr. has come under criticism for his performances at the international level and as such, the 24-year-old attacker will be motivated to light up the stage, more so after missing out on the Ballon d’Or.
Brazil take on Venezuela and Uruguay later this month and will be hoping to get things back on track after a run of dismal performances.
Real Madrid prospect Alexis Ciria will have to wait for his Champions League opportunity despite making a strong impression on Jose Mourinho during pre-season.
The Castilla winger has been left out of Real Madrid’s European squad, but the decision is the consequence of UEFA registration rules rather than a sporting judgment.
According to journalist Arancha Rodriguez (h/t Defensa Central), Ciria was not eligible for Madrid’s List B because he has not been with the club long enough to satisfy UEFA’s requirements.
Registering him would therefore have required Mourinho to include him on the more restrictive List A.
UEFA rules work against Ciria
List B provides clubs with additional flexibility to register young academy players, but being young enough is not sufficient on its own.
Players must also meet requirements concerning how long they have been eligible to represent the club.
Ciria does not meet those conditions because of his limited time at Valdebebas. Real Madrid would therefore have needed to sacrifice a List A position to register him.
With those places required for members of Mourinho’s senior squad, Ciria was ultimately left out.
Real Madrid’s List B instead includes youngsters such as Joan Martinez, Mario Rivas, Thiago Pitarch, Jorge Cestero and Daniel Yanez.
Many of these youngsters made a name for themselves under Mourinho during pre-season and could be used to make up the numbers in the Champions League squad.
They could also get some minutes off the bench, especially against relatively easier opposition, as Jose Mourinho looks to manage first-team minutes.
Mourinho still plans first-team opportunity
Importantly for Ciria, missing the Champions League squad does not appear to reflect a change in Mourinho’s opinion of him.
The youngster impressed during pre-season and is expected to continue spending time around the senior team.
Mourinho intends to give Ciria his official first-team debut during the season. That opportunity will now have to arrive in La Liga or the Copa del Rey.
The Portuguese tactician placed a lot of emphasis on trusting Castilla players during pre-season in the absence of first-team stars.
Ciria was one of the many names who made a name for themselves at Real Madrid during pre-season. He deserves a chance in the first team, and it remains to be seen how Jose plans his development.
