Game of Thrones at Real Madrid under Xabi Alonso

Real Madrid is undergoing a revolution that will change many things at Chamartín. Some changes are immediate, such as the appointment of Xabi Alonso as head coach, which has already been confirmed, or the ongoing overhaul of the defence, with the first step being the signing of Dean Huijsen. Other changes are postponed, such as the departures of Luka Modric and Lucas Vázquez after the Club World Cup. The exit of the Croatian, confirmed last Thursday, and the Galician, which is yet to be officially announced but is an open secret, will trigger a Game of Thrones within the hierarchy of the Whites.

Modric's farewell, a summer after the Balkan received the captain's armband from Nacho Fernández, will lead to the rise of Dani Carvajal. The Leganés-born full-back, who once laid the first stone in the construction of the Valdebebas Sports City, will become the main figure in the dressing room 23 years after joining the academy.

The transfer of power will be completed once the Club World Cup concludes, a tournament in which the Madrid native hopes to return to the pitch seven months after shattering his right knee during a league match against Villarreal. Carvajal suffered a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament, the external collateral ligament, and the popliteal tendon in that joint during a tussle with Yéremy Pino and has since been working towards shortening the timelines that suggested a return to action next season.

"These weeks I will continue training and travel to the Club World Cup. There, I will assess when I can compete," said a player whom Real Madrid has sorely missed not only for his performances on the field but also for his leadership qualities. His return will also coincide with the arrival of Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose agreement with Real Madrid is only pending official confirmation and whose participation in the Club World Cup depends on Liverpool, with whom he is contracted until June 30, and Real Madrid reaching an agreement to expedite the British player's call-up by Xabi Alonso. "Competition will make us better," Carvajal remarked regarding the rivalry that will threaten his starting position for the first time since returning to Real Madrid in 2013.

Carvajal's main lieutenant will be Fede Valverde, who, after establishing himself as Carlo Ancelotti's chief lieutenant, will find himself further empowered under Xabi Alonso's command. The Uruguayan joined Real Madrid in March 2015, when he was still a promising talent at Peñarol, and moved to the Spanish capital sixteen months later, once he reached adulthood. After a stint with Castilla and a year on loan at Deportivo La Coruña, he returned to Chamartín in the summer of 2018 to serve under Julen Lopetegui and has since progressed to become one of the dressing room leaders.

The Montevideo native has played 317 matches for Real Madrid, scoring 30 goals and providing 31 assists. He leads the ranking of players with the most minutes played in the top five leagues this season and has become an invaluable utility player due to his ability to operate both in midfield and at right-back, and even as a winger. His physical strength and status ensure he will wear the armband for many matches next season, and his age, 26, suggests a long tenure for the Uruguayan once Carvajal decides to hang up his boots. "Being the captain of Real Madrid is a great honour," he stated months ago, having first donned the Whites' armband in a match against Leganés in November 2024, and he is also the leader with and without the armband for the Uruguayan national team.

The quartet of captains in the new Real Madrid under Xabi Alonso will be completed by Thibaut Courtois and Vinicius, who both arrived at Chamartín in the summer of 2018. Although the Brazilian signed a year earlier, he had to delay his arrival until reaching adulthood, while the Belgian debuted first in the Whites' jersey. Vinicius already wore the armband this year in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals against Real Sociedad at Anoeta, where Carvajal was absent due to injury, Modric and Lucas Vázquez were substitutes, and Valverde was left out of the squad for rest. Courtois, who also did not travel to San Sebastián that day, has yet to don the armband with Real Madrid.