There is just one more game left in the World Cup, the final between Argentina and France, and it is safe to say that the tournament has just flown by. There were fears that it would not be an exciting competition but proved to be the complete opposite, full twists, turns and surprises. Now though, the club season is close to resuming once again and some Real Madrid players who were at the event in Qatar, are returning to training.
It certainly feels odd for club football to be back so close after the World Cup but that’s what the timing of this edition has done, being played in the winter.
Fans will get definitely get used to it though, with a lot of club football left to be played. And four players have returned to Real Madrid training who have a lot to prove after the World Cup.
As reported by Mundo Deportivo, Thibaut Courtois, Eden Hazard, Antonio Rudiger and Federico Valverde have started training in Valdebebas.
Four Real Madrid players have returned to training
All four of them were involved at the World Cup and saw their national teams get knocked out of the group stages.
Hazard had one last chance to prove that he is still a world-class player, while Courtois could solidify his status as the best goalkeeper in the world. Neither had a good tournament as Belgium could not make the knockout rounds. Both Croatia and Morocco made the semi-finals though, so they did have the toughest group.
There were high expectations that Valverde would break out at this World Cup and establish himself as a global superstar of the game, after his incredible form in a Real Madrid shirt in the first half of the season. Unfortunately, Uruguay were knocked out from their group as Portugal and South Korea made it through.
Rudiger was a starter and one of the leaders of the Germany national team this time, as they had to taste group stage elimination from the World Cup for the second straight time.