Real Madrid News
Real Madrid midfielder wants to become the club captain in the future
Real Madrid star Federico Valverde showed real passion after scoring the opener against RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League.
The rigorous fist pumps were indeed a mark of a mockery apparently targeted towards David Raum, but it showed the rock-solid character Valverde has built over the years.
The left-footed strike scored during the Champions League encounter and his overall performance on that night highlighted his value to the team.
As reported earlier, the midfielder was a subject of strong interest from Liverpool. Real Madrid, however, had no interest in letting the 24-year-old as they seem as an ‘untouchable’ player on the team.
The Uruguayan went on to play a crucial role during Real Madrid’s comeback wins over Paris-Saint Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City before providing the all-important assist to Vinicius Jr in the Champions League final against Liverpool last season.
It’s pretty much known that Valverde’s performances are appreciated by his manager Carlo Ancelotti. For now, the 24-year-old will continue to play a vital role for Ancelotti, but his aim is bigger.
As reported by Spanish publication Diario AS (h/t Madrid Xtra), Valverde’s aim is to become the captain of Real Madrid.
The leaders in the Real Madrid squad – Karim Benzema, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Nacho, are entering the twilight years of their careers.
Hence, it won’t be long before the team might need to appoint a new captain and if Ancelotti continues to serve, Valverde could become one of them. After all, the manager has already set a ten-goal target for the Uruguayan this season.
Valverde arrived at Real Madrid in 2016 for a sum of €5 million from Penarol. After a year with Castilla and a loan season away, he has been a part of the first-team setup and has grown in stature year after year.
The 24-year-old has shown his Madridismo time and again and if he continues performing the way he has been, there is no stopping Valverde from becoming the captain of Real Madrid in the future.
Real Madrid will be looking to pick up their fifth win of the 2026/27 La Liga season when they take on Elche CF at Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero later tonight.
With 12 points from five games, Los Blancos are currently second in the league table, three points below leaders FC Barcelona.
As such, the Spanish capital club will be eager to get the win and close the gap to the top.
Guler starts, Bellingham rested
Ahead of kickoff, Real Madrid have announced the starting lineup that will take the field against Elche, with Jose Mourinho making some important changes.
For starters, Arda Guler is back in the lineup after appearing as a substitute in the win over Rayo Vallecano.
Interestingly, however, he starts in the attacking midfield role, with Mourinho opting to rest Jude Bellingham, who has started all of Real Madrid’s games so far.
That also means that Yan Diomande retains his place in the team, starting for a second time in a row on the right wing. Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. continue in their respective positions in attack.
Another notable change sees Aurelien Tchouameni make his first start of the season after recovering from injury and making two appearances off the bench.
He replaces Bernardo Silva as Federico Valverde’s partner in the middle of the park.
Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Marc Cucurella come in as full-backs, while Ibrahima Konate and Dean Huijsen slot in at centre-back in front of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
📋✅ ¡Nuestro XI inicial!
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) September 15, 2026
🆚 @ElcheCF
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