Real Madrid news now, as of Friday 23 October 2026: José Mourinho’s side sit third in LaLiga on 21 points, six behind leaders Barcelona, and travel to Camp Nou for El Clásico on Sunday 25 October at 9:00pm WAT. They do it without the suspended Vinícius Júnior and the injured Rodrygo and Raúl Asencio, but with Kylian Mbappé in form after Wednesday’s 4-1 Champions League win over RB Leipzig.
TL;DR: Real Madrid News Now in 30 Seconds
- Next match: Barcelona vs Real Madrid (Mourinho’s first Clásico back), LaLiga matchday 10, Sunday 25 October, 9:00pm WAT, Spotify Camp Nou.
- Table: 3rd, 21 points from 9 games. Barcelona lead on 27 and Atlético Madrid sit 2nd on 22.
- Europe: 9 points from 3 Champions League games after the 4-1 win over Leipzig.
- Out: Vinícius (LaLiga ban), Rodrygo (knee), Asencio (leg stress fracture). Mendy is a doubt. Full list on our injury updates page.
- Contracts: Bellingham has agreed terms to 2031 and Courtois to 2028. Neither deal is official yet.
- Off the pitch: the Tebas row, a Super League costs claim and a return to the Ballon d’Or.
Real Madrid News Now (as of 23 October 2026)
Real Madrid are preparing for El Clásico under head coach José Mourinho, who passed 100 days in his second spell this week. The table below gives you the five facts that matter most right now, and the headlines underneath explain each one in a line.
| Detail | Current status |
|---|---|
| Head coach | José Mourinho (appointed 11 June 2026, contract to 2029) |
| LaLiga position | 3rd, 21 points from 9 matches (6 behind Barcelona) |
| Champions League | 9 points from 3: 2-1 Inter, 4-3 at Roma, 4-1 RB Leipzig |
| Next big match | El Clásico at Barcelona, Sun 25 Oct, 9:00pm WAT |
| Major absence | Vinícius Júnior (four-match LaLiga ban, appeal rejected) |
| Other absentees | Rodrygo (knee), Raúl Asencio (leg) |
Latest Real Madrid headlines
- Mourinho has started Clásico preparations at Valdebebas. The Leipzig starters did recovery work on Thursday, according to the club’s training report.
- Real Madrid beat RB Leipzig 4-1. Bernardo Silva, Arda Güler, Mbappé and Yan Diomande scored (BBC Sport).
- Vinícius’s four-match LaLiga ban stands, so he misses the Clásico. Our Vinícius ban explainer covers the appeal.
- The club demanded LaLiga president Javier Tebas’s resignation after his Goebbels comparison (official statement, 16 Oct).
- Thibaut Courtois says he is close to a one-year extension to June 2028.
- Jude Bellingham has agreed a new deal to 30 June 2031, AS reports.
Information updated as of 23 October 2026.
Where Can You Find Real Madrid News Now You Can Trust?
The best combination is the official club site for confirmed facts, Managing Madrid for daily context, and The Athletic, AS or Marca for scoops, checked against ESPN or BBC Sport. Each source does a different job, so use them together rather than relying on one.
| Source | Best for | Trust level |
|---|---|---|
| realmadrid.com | Squad lists, injuries, official statements | Confirmed |
| Managing Madrid | Daily round-ups and tactical context | High |
| The Athletic | Club-sourced scoops (it broke the Super League costs story) | High |
| AS / Marca | Madrid-based reporting, contracts and transfers | Good, but check exclusives |
| ESPN / BBC Sport | Match reports, quotes and neutral checks | High |
If you search “Real Madrid news MARCA” or “Real Madrid news AS”, you get the two Madrid papers that break most contract stories first. AS broke the Bellingham renewal, for example, but the club has not confirmed it, so treat any paper exclusive as “reported” until realmadrid.com publishes it. Managing Madrid’s Madrid Daily is the quickest way to see all of these sources summarised in one place.
What about “Real Madrid news now every 5 minutes” and “www goal Real Madrid news now”? Aggregators such as NewsNow and Goal refresh constantly, but speed brings rumours with it. A sensible routine is to check the aggregator for alerts, then confirm anything important on one of the sources in the table. We do the same on our football injury updates page, which we refresh every weekday morning.
What Is the Latest Real Madrid Injury News?
Real Madrid’s injury list for the Clásico is short but costly. Rodrygo and Asencio are out, Ferland Mendy is a doubt, and Vinícius misses out through a ban rather than an injury. The good news is that Éder Militão is back and Mbappé is fit.
| Player | Issue | Status for Barcelona (25 Oct) |
|---|---|---|
| Vinícius Júnior | Four-match LaLiga ban | Suspended |
| Rodrygo | Knee (ACL) | Out, still in recovery |
| Raúl Asencio | Stress fracture, right leg (surgery) | Out |
| Ferland Mendy | Thigh/hamstring | Doubt |
| Éder Militão | Back from a hamstring injury | Available, short of match fitness |
| Kylian Mbappé | No injury | Available |
Militão made his comeback off the bench against Sevilla on 18 October, six months after he tore his hamstring against Alavés, according to realmadrid.com. The club’s Thursday report said “Asencio and Rodrygo continue with their respective recovery processes.” Our injury updates hub tracks every Real Madrid injury and suspension across LaLiga and the Premier League, and champsquads injury updates carries a second daily list.
Is there any Real Madrid news now on an Mbappé injury?
No. Searches for “Real Madrid news now injury Mbappé” peak before every big game, but Mbappé has no injury. He scored and assisted against Leipzig, reached 12 goals in 12 games, and said afterwards, per Sports Illustrated: “El Clásico and then Ballon d’Or ceremony? Let’s go for it.” For his contract and the rumours around him, read our Real Madrid transfer news and Mbappé tracker.
How Do Today’s Injuries Compare With Hazard and Carvajal?
Two names still dominate “real madrid injury” searches years later. Eden Hazard joined from Chelsea in 2019, lost most of his four seasons to ankle and fitness problems, left in 2023 and retired that October. His case is now the reference point for any long-term Real Madrid injury.
The second is Dani Carvajal, who tore his ACL against Villarreal in October 2024. Carvajal left Real Madrid as a free agent when his contract expired in June 2026 and signed for Getafe on 13 October, BBC Sport reported. Questions about a “Real Madrid Carvajal injury” now belong to Getafe’s medical team. Mourinho’s current concern is Rodrygo, whose knee injury is the longest on the list.
What Is Happening off the Pitch at Real Madrid?
Three stories run alongside the football this week, and all three are on the record.
- Tebas row: Real Madrid called Tebas’s Goebbels comparison “deeply offensive” and “morally repugnant” and demanded he quit as LaLiga president and RFEF vice-president.
- Super League costs: The Athletic reported, and Madrid confirmed to Reuters, that the club wants Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City, Man United and Tottenham to share set-up costs. One source put total costs at up to €80m. That is the overall bill, not a confirmed debt.
- Ballon d’Or return: L’Équipe reports that Madrid will end their two-year boycott and attend Monday’s ceremony in London. The shortlist includes Mbappé, Bellingham, Vinícius and Marc Cucurella.
Mbappé was also the top scorer at the 2026 World Cup, as our World Cup top scorers list shows. That makes Monday a big night for the club whatever happens at Camp Nou.
What Does the Real Madrid Next Season Squad Look Like?
Madrid have already locked in the core of the squad. Vinícius signed to 2032 in the summer, Bellingham has agreed terms to 2031, and Courtois says only “the last details” remain on his deal to 2028. Arda Güler and Aurélien Tchouaméni have also extended. For “Real Madrid transfer news”, our transfer tracker shows the club’s priority is renewals, not new signings, until the January window opens.
Bellingham’s deal adds two years to the contract he signed in 2023 and includes a pay rise, according to AS. Courtois, 34, told reporters after the Leipzig game that his aim is to finish his career at the club. He will be in his tenth season as a Madrid player if he signs.
What Should You Expect From El Clásico?
Barcelona have won all nine league games, so a Madrid defeat would leave them nine points behind. Mourinho must pick between Diomande and Brahim Díaz for Vinícius’s left-side role. Forbes expects Mbappé to lead the line, with Bellingham and Güler behind him.
Barcelona lost 4-2 to Paris Saint-Germain in midweek, while Madrid won comfortably. Our José Mourinho news post has his full Leipzig press conference, and the Barcelona vs Real Madrid head-to-head covers the history. Barça’s recent form is in our Real Betis vs Barcelona preview, and Lamine Yamal’s profile explains why he is the man Madrid must stop. The Champions League standings are on our UCL 2026/27 table page.
If you plan to bet on the Clásico, compare markets on our correct football prediction page and our 8xbet vs SportyBet review first, and remember that no prediction is zero-risk.
18+ only. Betting carries risk, so stake only what you can afford to lose. Read our responsible gambling guide before you bet.
Sources (2026)
We checked this article against Real Madrid’s official statements and training reports, BBC Sport, ESPN, AS, Managing Madrid, Sports Illustrated, Forbes and Sports Mole between 16 and 23 October 2026. Contract stories marked “agreed” or “reported” have no official club confirmation yet. We will update this page after El Clásico.
FAQ
When can Rodrygo play again?
Rodrygo suffered a serious knee injury in March 2026 and is working towards a return at the start of 2027, according to Sports Mole. The club has not given an official date.
Is Real Madrid sacking Alonso?
No. Xabi Alonso already left Real Madrid by mutual agreement on 12 January 2026, a day after the Spanish Super Cup final defeat to Barcelona. Álvaro Arbeloa took over, and the club appointed José Mourinho on 11 June 2026.
Will Olise come to Real Madrid?
There is no deal. Michael Olise is under contract at Bayern Munich until 2029 with no release clause, and Bayern’s leadership has publicly warned Real Madrid off. Any move would depend on his contract talks in Munich.
When can Paul Pogba play again?
Pogba is fit to train but has no club. Monaco ended his contract in August 2026, according to French media reports, after injuries limited his playing time, so he can only play again once he signs for a new team.
