A successful campaign for Real Madrid. The club achieved everything it wanted. To start- the trophies. Real Madrid won three trophies this season- Supercopa de Espana, LaLiga Santander, and UEFA Champions League. A perfect ending for a lot of players, and a great beginning for the new ones. But the most important thing Real Madrid earned this year was the fruit of the club’s trust in its young players. Everyone stepped up, be it Eduardo Camavinga, Vinicius Junior, or Eder Militao, be it Ferland Mendy, Federico Valverde, or Rodrygo Goes.
Luka Jovic had a much better campaign than his first two seasons at the club. He helped in the most crucial stages of the season- when Karim Benzema badly needed rest, with his recognition-worthy performances against Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, and Real Sociedad. Juanmi Latasa, Rafa Marin, and Peter Gonzalez got a chance to prove themselves with the first team.
After ranking the best players for Real Madrid this season, I will be ranking the best youngsters.
5. CM/CDM Eduardo Camavinga
Eduardo Camavinga comes at 5. The youngster Real Madrid signed after the Kylian Mbappe deal broke down at the start of the season. It was an excellent move by Florentino Perez and Real Madrid bought the Frenchman for a bargain of €30 million.
I had some concerns of my own and had doubts regarding his quality. When a player of such young age arrives in the Spanish Capital, you usually expect him to be a star of the future and at the same time, you don’t have many hopes because you would expect him to take some time adjusting to the environment.
But Eduardo Camavinga is no normal player. Right from the first touch when he made his debut, he looked dangerous. Coming on in the 66th minute against Celta Vigo, Eduardo Camavinga scored his first goal for Real Madrid making his debut extra special. He helped Real Madrid control the ball well, and has improved over time since.
The French midfielder did not get as many starts as a new signing would expect, but he knew that it would take a lot of himself to replace the KCM. Yet he got the play time he deserved because of his consistent performances and played a very crucial role in the most intense periods of the season.
When he first arrived at the club, I thought of him to be someone who could replace Casemiro in the long run. But I was wrong. It seems like it was not his natural position. He likes to have freedom of position, switching the play to the opposite flank, and keeping the opposition at bay with short passes to retain possession.
He may not be the perfect box-to-box midfielder that Federico Valverde is, but he has the quality of a playmaker. So if you ask me, after analysing his play for a season, I would take Eduardo Camavinga as someone who can replace Toni Kroos in the near future.
As per WhoScored.com, Eduardo Camavinga has represented Real Madrid in a total of 36 games in LaLiga Santander and UEFA Champions League, starting 14 and coming in as a substitute in 22 games.
In each of these games, not once did the 19-year-old disappoint the fans or the club.
He finished the season averaging 1.9 tackles, 0.7 interceptions, and 0.5 clearances a game in the little playing time he gets. With 2 goals and 2 assists in his name, he averages 0.4 key passes, 0.6 dribbles, 1.9 long balls, and 28.3 passes a game. When you look at his play time, you would think of this as some very good statistics for a youngster.
What makes me admire Eduardo Camavinga so much is how he coped with the extreme pressure and responsibility in the most crucial games. For example, in the game against Manchester City, when he came on, the only role he had was to prevent Manchester City from counterattacking Real Madrid.
With two goals down, Real Madrid went all-in on the attack which opened spaces for Pep’s men to counterattack. The young Frenchman was instructed to prevent that, and he made the most crucial tackles in those few minutes, cutting passing lanes and easily stealing balls.
He made the most crucial interception to steal the ball against Chelsea in the second leg. Then sent it to Vinicius Junior who crossed it with ease to Karim Benzema for the winner.
Apart from that, another great highlight of the season was the assist to Rodrygo in his UEFA Champions League debut against Inter Milan.
Do you remember his long cross to Karim Benzema? Which the 33-year-old controlled and passed to Rodrygo for scoring the first goal against Manchester City? It was by far the best highlight of the season for the young Eduardo Camavinga. It was the perfect ball over the top for Benzema who was unmarked and it was this breakthrough that lifted the spirit of Santiago Bernabeu and that of the players.
4. LW/RW Rodrygo Goes
Had it not been for the world-class performances in the most crucial stages of the season by the young Rodrygo Goes, I would not have taken him over Eduardo Camavinga. A season full of ups and downs for Rodrygo. He started the season well, sometimes being Real Madrid’s best player of the game. But soon was overtaken by Marco Asensio in the pecking order. It wasn’t his fault in that.
Rodrygo seemed much improved at the right-wing despite it not being his favourable position and at a point, deserved to be a regular starter for Real Madrid at the right-wing. But what can you do when the manager prefers to play someone who remains invisible on the field throughout the game and then produces a wonderful goal out of nowhere.
Yet the young Rodrygo gave his all. Whenever Carlo Ancelotti opted to start or substituted him in the game, he proved his value. The young Brazilian always made a statement on the field and his speed came in handy to Real Madrid on the counterattacks. His efforts throughout the season enabled him to help the team in the most crucial moments. The new Mr. Champions League is the reason Real Madrid was able to bounce back from all the setbacks the club faced during the game.
We saw the best of Remontadas against Manchester City and Chelsea thanks to him. Rodrygo has always been an unsung hero in a lot of games, but it seems like the Brazilian has started getting the recognition he deserves.
After the regular failures of Marco Asensio at the right-wing position in the most important games like that against Paris Saint-Germain, many expected Rodrygo to be the one to replace him. But Carlo Ancelotti had other plans. The Italian started using Federico Valverde as a right midfielder, thus changing the formation to a 4-4-2. But this did not mean that the manager never trusted Rodrygo.
Carlo Ancelotti found the best way to use the qualities of the young versatile attacker, and that was by using him as a substitute. Rodrygo is a very quick player, an excellent dribbler, and very prolific in front of goal. Using him as a substitute when the fullbacks are tired just helps the team hit the opposition more effectively.
Statistically speaking, Rodrygo has scored 9 goals and 6 assists in 44 appearances for Real Madrid with 4 Man of the Match awards. Having played just 2032 minutes, he averages a goal or assist every 135 minutes, which tells a lot about the impact the Brazilian has on the game. He averages 0.8 key passes, 0.8 dribbles, and 1.3 shots per game.
With the way he stepped up near the end of the season, he deserved some love from the manager who rewarded the Brazilian with some regular starts in the league games and that too at his preferred left-wing position. Rodrygo gained more momentum in that position and proved that he is way too good at the left-wing than at the right-wing.
An unpopular opinion- Rodrygo is much sharper in front of goal than Vinicius Junior. He is better at passing and crossing. Rodrygo may not be as good a dribbler as Vinicius, but he is equally fast. I think that if Rodrygo continues to deliver the way he is as of now, he can challenge Vinicius Junior for a role on the left-wing.
It is not that Vinicius Junior cannot play at the right-wing. He did temporarily play there in the El Derby first leg and produced an assist. I believe that an interchange of their position may not be on the table as of now, but I would not be surprised if such a thing is discussed or considered next season.
Apart from this, Real Madrid is already looking for a backup striker. Rodrygo may not possess that poacher instinct, but in the short run, I think he can be tested as a striker too.
3. CM/RM Federico Valverde
Federico Valverde is one of the best midfielders of the future. If there’s someone who I think can replace Luka Modric in the near future, it is this guy. Not that he possesses all the technical qualities that Modric has. No, but the Uruguayan can very well match his energy. He can run errands and even put in double shifts to help the team. His shooting from distance is spectacular. The speed with which he carries the ball forward and shoots the ball reminds me of the 2014 Luka Modric.
Just like Eduardo Camavinga and Rodrygo Goes, Federico Valverde too stepped up in the most crucial stages of the game. He has had his moments of brilliance this season and is the reason why Real Madrid won the UEFA Champions League, the LaLiga Santander, and the Supercopa de Espana.
This season, Federico Valverde has scored 1 goal and assisted 2 in all competitions for Real Madrid. This is very less, yes it is. When you see a player like him play, you would expect 10-15 G+As a season. It can be seen as his bad luck. But his goal and assist came when needed the most. His goal came in the Supercopa de Espana semi-final against Barcelona and was the decider in that game. And his assist? I guess everybody saw that beautiful ball beating all the Liverpool defenders to reach Vinicius Junior, just for him to tap it in as the winning goal in the UEFA Champions League final.
Unlike last season, the fewer injury scares for Federico Valverde enabled us to see the best version. His athleticism is top-notch and as I said earlier, he put in double shifts in the most crucial stages of the season.
Near the end, we saw Carlo Ancelotti using a 4-4-2 transforming into a 4-3-3 when attacking. Federico Valverde started all the crucial games and was asked to play as a right winger in attack and a right back to help Dani Carvajal in defence. Around the 70’, we would see one of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos going off for Rodrygo who would then do the Uruguayan’s role. Federico Valverde would then play more centrally.
The 23-year-old is a fantastic box-to-box midfielder, one of the best in the world. Statistically speaking, Federico Valverde averages 1.3 tackles, 0.8 interceptions and 0.5 clearances a game. Apart from that, he attempts 1 shot, 0.7 key passes, 36.6 passes (with 87.8 pass completion rate), 1.5 long balls and 1 dribble a game.
The Uruguayan ‘Falcon’ is improving with each passing day, and it will not be a surprise if we see Carlo Ancelotti using Federico Valverde as a right winger next season, replacing Marco Asensio as a starter.
2. CB Eder Militao
Ever since joining Real Madrid from Porto in 2018/19, the Brazilian had failed to live up to the high expectations that the €50 million price tag brought. But we cannot blame Militao for this. It was the lack of opportunities that came his way in the initial seasons of his Real Madrid career.
It was a great season for Eder Militao to remember. To be honest, when you look at him playing, you would feel like he is not one of the best players on the pitch. But when it comes to stepping up, Eder Militao deserves to be ranked two.
Real Madrid lost both the starting defenders in one go. Raphael Varane to Manchester United and Sergio Ramos to Paris Saint-Germain. With a new defender by his side, Eder Militao adapted well to the situation and stood strong.
While it might be a challenge for most youngsters to adapt to change, Eder Militao converted this challenge into an opportunity. He learned the best techniques from the best defenders of the world to improve his overall game. Have you noticed how he shoots from distance or passes long balls to Vinicius Junior to switch the play? That’s what he learned from David Alaba.
Statistically speaking, has scored 1 goal with 2 assists in 46 games for Real Madrid. He averages 2.5 aerials won, 1.6 tackles, 1.7 interceptions, 3 clearances, and 0.8 blocks a game. He averages 57.5 passes with 88.4% passing accuracy and 3.5 long balls a game.
Now, Eder Militao is not as consistent as you would expect a player to be a starter for Real Madrid. But he delivered top results in the most crucial fixtures. In the last few LaLiga games, Eder Militao looked pretty lost. He was not performing his usual self and committed a lot of mistakes.
It started to scare many Madridistas and even the management that Liverpool might make the most of the Brazilian’s poor form by pressurizing him and forcing him to commit mistakes. But Eder Militao has Real Madrid DNA. He rather played the best of his games against Liverpool.
He showed the world why Real Madrid invested in him and how will he return them this favour.
This is just the start of the 24 years old’s professional career and he still has a lot to offer to the club for the next 9-10 years. With his contract expiring in 2025, Real Madrid is preparing a new much-improved contract to extend his contract till 2028 to reward him for his stand-out performances.
1. LW Vinicius Junior
Finally, some good times for Vinicius Junior. Even after getting criticized by everyone for the past 2-3 years, Vinicius Jr. never stopped trying. He kept going and his hard work finally paid off. All Vinicius Junior needed was a little confidence to unleash his inner beast and that is where you expect Carlo Ancelotti to do the job for you.
This has been the breakout season for the young Brazilian and there is nothing to stop him now. At the start of the season, I wrote an article on how his form can help Real Madrid win the LaLiga and make them a serious contender for the UEFA Champions League.
He has been key throughout the season and his consistent top performances are the reason Real Madrid succeeded this season. He constantly threatened the opposition’s defence and it was his top form that enabled Carlo Ancelotti to give Karim Benzema some rest. With the Frenchman being called for the national duty, the schedule became even more hectic and increased the burden on his shoulders.
Statistically speaking, Vinicius Jr. has scored 22 goals with 16 assists in all competitions for Real Madrid this season as compared to his 6 goals and 4 assists last season. The Brazilian averages 2.1 key passes and completes 2.6 dribbles a game. The fact that Vinicius has won 10 Man of the Match awards so far tells us a lot about how good he has been this season.
Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema have been the duo of the season, with the two having a combined 96 G+A. it has been a delight to watch the two play together and combine well.
Apart from this, Vinicius Junior has scored 2 goals and assisted 4 in the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League. A crucial goal and Manchester City and the most important goal against Liverpool to finish the season on a very high note.
There was a time when the Brazilian’s form took a hit. He was no longer the threatening guy, making a lot of mistakes and easily taken down by the defenders. But Vinicius Junior did not let his bad times affect his game. He came back fast and even better than before.
This is just the start and Vinicius Jr. has a whole career ahead of himself at the club. He is the player of the future and will be one of the favourites to win the Ballon d’Or in the next couple of seasons. This year too, Vinicius Jr. deserves to be in the top 5 favourites to win the Ballon d’Or – if not in the top 3.
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With the standout performances of Vinicius Junior this season, it is expected that he will soon sign a contract extension with Real Madrid. The new contract is expected to make the Brazilian a Real Madrid player till June 2027 and will have a massive increase in his salary which is €6 million at the moment.