Real Madrid manager, Jose Mourinho, has unveiled his squad for Sunday’s pre-season meeting with Schalke 04, with several of the Spanish giants’ biggest names included for the final friendly before the start of the 2026/27 campaign.
The encounter is scheduled for Sunday, August 16, at the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, with kick-off set for 5:00 p.m. local time. The match will serve as Real Madrid’s final major preparation game before their competitive campaign gets underway. Real Madrid officially confirmed the fixture on July 29, announcing that Mourinho’s team would travel to Germany for the encounter.
Mourinho has selected a 23-man squad for the trip, bringing a mixture of established first-team stars, recent arrivals and promising young players into the group.
Among the headline names included are Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, Thibaut Courtois and new signing, Yan Diomande.
The inclusion of those players is particularly significant because some of them were unavailable for Real Madrid’s previous pre-season fixture against Deportivo La Coruna.
Mbappe, Courtois and Bellingham were among the notable players who had only recently returned to training before the Deportivo game. Diomande was also left out of that squad as Mourinho continued to manage the workload of his players following the summer break.
The return of several first-team regulars means Mourinho will have a considerably stronger group at his disposal against Schalke.
Real Madrid go into the friendly on the back of a 1-0 victory over Deportivo in the Trofeo Teresa Herrera at the Riazor Stadium. Brahim Diaz scored the decisive goal in stoppage time, handing Mourinho’s side the trophy after a tightly contested encounter.
That victory was Real Madrid’s second win of the pre-season campaign. The club had earlier defeated Alcorcon 1-0 before drawing 2-2 with Fiorentina and continuing their preparations with other friendly fixtures.
The meeting with Schalke will therefore provide Mourinho with one final opportunity to assess his squad before the beginning of the new La Liga season.
Real Madrid’s official announcement confirmed that the match would take place at the Veltins-Arena at 5:00 p.m. The venue, which has a capacity of about 62,000 spectators, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
The stadium also has a personal connection with Mourinho. The Portuguese coach won his first Champions League title with FC Porto at the venue in 2004 after his side defeated Monaco 3-0 in the final.
Real Madrid also have a strong history at the stadium. The Spanish club have previously played two competitive matches against Schalke there, winning 6-1 in the first leg of their 2014 Champions League round-of-16 tie and 2-0 in another last-16 first-leg encounter in 2015.
Sunday’s fixture will also give some of Real Madrid’s new signings an opportunity to gain further experience alongside the club’s established stars.
Among the defenders named in the squad are Dean Huijsen, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Marc Cucurella, Alvaro Carreras, Antonio Rudiger and Denzel Dumfries.
The midfield department contains a blend of established players and emerging talent, with Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde, Arda Guler, Bernardo Silva, Jorge Cestero and Alexis Ciria all selected.
Ciria has been one of the notable young performers during Mourinho’s first pre-season campaign since returning to Real Madrid. The 18-year-old has attracted considerable attention after scoring against Fiorentina and producing another influential performance against Ferencvaros. Spanish outlet, AS, described him as one of the revelations of the club’s summer preparations.
The attack will be led by Vinicius and Mbappe, while Carlos Espí, Brahim Diaz and Diomande complete the forward options.
Diomande’s presence is particularly noteworthy. The young Ivorian forward had been left out of the squad for the Deportivo match, meaning the Schalke game could provide an important opportunity for him to make his mark during the final stage of pre-season.
Mourinho is expected to use the fixture not only to pursue another positive result but also to give minutes to players who need additional match fitness ahead of the competitive season.
Real Madrid’s La Liga campaign is scheduled to begin against Espanyol on August 22, before the club face Real Sociedad on August 26. The unusual opening schedule follows the postponement of their first-round fixture because of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
With the Schalke encounter representing the final pre-season test, Mourinho will be looking for signs that his squad is ready for the demands of competitive football.
Real Madrid Squad Against Schalke
Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois, Andriy Lunin, Illia.
Defenders: Dean Huijsen, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Marc Cucurella, Alvaro Carreras, Antonio Rudiger, Denzel Dumfries, Mario Rivas.
Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde, Arda Guler, Bernardo Silva, Jorge Cestero, Alexis Ciria.
Forwards: Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe, Carlos Espí, Brahim Diaz, Yan Diomande.
The clash with Schalke is expected to attract considerable attention as Real Madrid complete their summer preparations. For Mourinho, it represents the last chance to fine-tune his preferred approach and determine which players are ready to take responsibility when the competitive campaign begins.
The Portuguese manager will also hope the match provides a positive conclusion to pre-season, particularly after the gradual return of several key players from their post-World Cup schedules.
With Mbappe, Vinicius, Bellingham, Courtois and Diomande now part of the travelling group, Real Madrid head into the Gelsenkirchen encounter with considerably greater strength than they possessed in their previous outing.
The match will ultimately offer Mourinho one final assessment of his squad before attention shifts from preparation to the serious business of the 2026/27 season.