Real Madrid News
Real Madrid will take 18-year-old academy whizkid on the US pre-season tour
With Real Madrid set to fly out for their pre-season tour of the United States of America soon, Mario Cortegana of The Athletic has provided an update on the composition of the squad for the trip.
All the first-team stars that are currently training under Carlo Ancelotti will be flying across the Atlantic, where they will be joined by the remaining players who were given an extended break, such as Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo Goes, and Aurelien Tchouameni, among others.
Now, Cortegana has reported that apart from the first-team players, Real Madrid also plan on taking a total of three academy prospects on the US tour, including teenage prodigy Nico Paz.
Along with the Argentine wonderkid, Los Blancos will also have two academy goalkeepers – Diego Pineiro and Fran Gonzalez – present during their pre-season tour of the USA.
Paz’s presence on the tour does not come as a surprise, considering that he is regarded as one of the brightest young talents to have come through the academy ranks at Real Madrid in recent times.
Indeed, the young attacking midfielder has been tipped for great things and is said to have caught the eye of manager Ancelotti as well.
Young Nico has been impressing heavily for Real Madrid’s Juvenil A team. Last season, he scored five goals in seven games for the side in the UEFA Youth League, helping them reach the quarter-finals.
The Argentine has made a solid impression while representing the Castilla outfit as well, for whom he has played 24 times, scoring two goals and setting up three more.
Real Madrid will take on AC Milan, Manchester United, Barcelona, and Juventus in pre-season friendlies during their US tour. It will certainly be interesting to see if Paz and the two goalkeepers, Pineiro and Gonzalez, get any minutes during those encounters.
Real Madrid are back in action in La Liga tonight after the three-week international break as they take on Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Having lost their previous game against Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid will be eager to get back to winning ways, especially with Barcelona on track to secure three more points and extending their lead at the top.
Ahead of kickoff at the Santiago Bernabeu later tonight, manager Jose Mourinho has announced the starting lineup that will take the field against Villarreal.
The big headline is that captain Federico Valverde is fit enough to start in midfield after having successfully recovered from the Grade 3 ankle sprain he had sustained during the derby defeat three weeks ago.
The Uruguayan international partners with Aurelien Tchouameni in the middle of the park, while Jude Bellingham continues as the attacking midfielder for the hosts.
The other major news comes in the form of Jose Mourinho deciding to bench Vinicius Jr., with Yan Diomande starting on the left wing.
Arda Guler slots in on the right flank, while Kylian Mbappe, having recovered from the minor injury he sustained during the international break, spearheads the attack.
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alvaro Carreras get the nod as the two full-backs flanking the centre-back pairing of Ibrahima Konate and Antonio Rudiger. Thibaut Courtois guards the Real Madrid goal.
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— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) October 10, 2026
