Mourinho: I Hope Real Madrid Players Lose in the World Cup, and I Want Troublemakers

José Mourinho affirmed that having great players within the team represents the best challenge for any coach, emphasizing his full confidence in the Real Madrid stars and his ability to build a strong team in the upcoming phase.

Mourinho said in statements to BeastModeOn: "Managing stars is the best problem any coach can face, and the best players are the best problem a coach can have."

The Portuguese coach jokingly added about Real Madrid players' participation in the 2026 World Cup, saying: "What am I looking forward to in the World Cup? I want Real Madrid players to lose because I want them back for pre-season training with me in July."

Mourinho denied the rumors about his intention to let go of some players who caused problems last season: "I read that some say Mourinho will come to Real Madrid and get rid of the players who faced issues last season. This is absolutely not true. I want these players, I want the best players, and now my task is to find the right way to turn them into one team."

There were some tensions among Real Madrid players last season, most notably the altercation between Aurélien Tchouaméni and Fede Valverde, in addition to the incident where Antonio Rüdiger slapped his teammate Álvaro Carreras.

Real Madrid is set to begin preparations for the new season on July 13th, with players undergoing medical examinations before starting training under Mourinho's leadership. Players participating in the World Cup will join gradually, depending on when their national teams' journeys in the tournament conclude.