Real Madrid officially kicked off the 2025/26 season with a number that turns heads: the first-team squad’s average age is just 25.07, the lowest recorded by the club this century. Spanish newspaper Marca broke the news and noted that not since the 1998/99 season, when the average was 24.88, has the squad been this young.
This shift gained traction after the exits of two longtime veterans: Luka Modric, who joined Milan, and Lucas Vázquez. At the same time, Madrid brought in fresh talent like center back Dean Huijsen (20), left back Pablo Ramón Carreras (22), and Argentine midfielder Franco Mastantuono (17). All of them fit into a long-running youth strategy that’s been a core part of Florentino Pérez’s leadership.
A young squad, but ready to compete
Since returning as president in 2009, Pérez has pushed for younger signings with room to grow while staying away from players over 30. That policy has only been set aside three times — in 2010 with Ricardo Carvalho, 2013 with Diego López, and 2023 with Joselu. Other than that, the club has stuck to the plan and found key names along the way, like Vinicius Junior and Federico Valverde.
According to the club’s official site, the current roster lists 23 players. Marca points out that this doesn’t include Mastantuono or Gonzalo García, who made a name for himself at the Club World Cup. With both of them, the number goes up to 25, and the average age slightly increases to 25.24.
The youngest on the squad is Endrick, just 19. The oldest is Dani Carvajal at 33. There are also players like Jude Bellingham (22), Eduardo Camavinga (22), Rodrygo (24), Vinicius Junior (25), and Kylian Mbappé (26), all at different stages of development but already experienced on the big stage.
Here’s the full roster by position and age
Goalkeepers: Courtois (33), Lunin (26)
Right backs: Alexander-Arnold (26), Carvajal (33)
Center backs: Éder Militão (27), Asencio (22), Alaba (33), Huijsen (20), Rüdiger (32)
Left backs: Carreras (22), Fran García (25), Mendy (30)
Midfielders: Valverde (27), Arda Güler (20), Tchouaméni (25), Camavinga (22), Bellingham (22), Ceballos (28)
Forwards: Mastantuono (18), Brahim Díaz (25), Mbappé (26), Endrick (19), Gonzalo García (21), Vinicius Junior (25), Rodrygo (24)
Long-term sporting and financial strategy
Building a team with such a low average age isn’t just about fresh legs. It’s part of a bigger vision to stay competitive now while laying the foundation for the next several years. A younger squad means more energy, fewer replacements, and stronger long-term value on the transfer market.
Real Madrid has also taken an aggressive approach when it comes to scouting, especially in places like South America and Eastern Europe. They’re often a step ahead of rivals. The signing of Mastantuono, for example, shows that clearly. He arrived from River Plate before even turning 18.