Thibaut Courtois Returns as Mourinho Aims to End Madrid's Trophy Drought
Two weeks out from the new La Liga campaign, there is no sense of calm around Real Madrid. Not after two straight seasons without a trophy. Not with Jose Mourinho back on the bench and a fanbase demanding a reaction.
The countdown is already marked: the first official test comes in matchday 2 away to Espanyol, the club’s opening fixture of the 2026-27 league season. Mourinho’s pre-season, though, is split in two. On one side, the squad that has already flown to Hungary for a friendly against Ferencvaros. On the other, at Valdebebas, a smaller group working in near silence — and among them, a very familiar figure.
Thibaut Courtois is back.
Courtois alone at Valdebebas
The Belgian goalkeeper has returned to training at the club’s headquarters after his World Cup campaign ended with a muscle injury in Belgium’s quarter-final defeat to Spain. The scare proved minor. No long-term damage, no extended lay-off. Just the usual checks, the usual caution, and then the green light.
For now, he is not with the main group. While his teammates tune up in Hungary, Courtois is putting in the work on the pitches of Valdebebas, building rhythm and strength under the eye of the club’s staff. The only other first-team player alongside him there is new signing Yan Diomande, another late arrival to Mourinho’s plans.
It’s a quiet backdrop for a very loud responsibility.
World Cup stragglers and Mourinho’s checklist
The World Cup has stretched holidays and complicated Mourinho’s pre-season schedule. Over recent days, players who went deep into the tournament have been filtering back one by one. The last wave is still to come.
Kylian Mbappe, Aurelien Tchouameni, Ibrahima Konate and Marc Cucurella are the final names yet to report. They are expected at Valdebebas next week, at which point Mourinho will finally have the full squad in his hands.
Until then, every session counts. The Portuguese coach is trying to weld together a team that must not only compete, but win. After two barren years, “almost desperate” is not an exaggeration around the club’s offices. It’s the reality.
The old pillar for a new push
In that context, Courtois is more than just another returnee. He is a cornerstone.
For several seasons, the Belgian has been one of Real Madrid’s most decisive players, the safety net behind fluctuating defences and evolving midfields. Once again, he is expected to be central to everything Mourinho wants to build.
The plan is simple: Madrid intend to challenge for every major trophy available. No caveats. No transitional excuses. La Liga, the Champions League, domestic cups — after two seasons without a single piece of silverware, the margin for error has shrunk.
To do that, they will lean heavily on Courtois’ presence. His shot-stopping, his command of the box, his voice. Leadership from the back, authority in the dressing room. Those qualities do not need pre-season friendlies to be obvious, but they do need fitness, sharpness, and time on the training ground.
That work has already started.
The rest of the squad will trickle back from their travels, the World Cup names will join, and Mourinho will finally see his full hand. When that happens, one question will hang over Valdebebas: with Courtois restored to full strength and a star-studded squad around him, is this the season Real Madrid finally slam the door on their trophy drought?
