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Real Madrid News Real Madrid end their Ballon d’Or silence Real Madrid are back engaging with the Ballon d’Or. Indeed, after having not posted about the prestigious award ceremony last year, the Merengues have ended their silence following the announcement of the 30 nominees for the Golden Orb for 2026. The Spanish capital club acknowledged the four players from the club who made it to the final shortlist: Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr., Jude Bellingham, and Marc Cucurella, with posts on social media and on the club website. It is not that the club had disappeared from the prestigious honour, but last year, after the controversy surrounding Vinicius Jr. in 2024, the club chose not to acknowledge either the nominations or the final results through their official channels. 🌟 ¡@KMbappe, @ViniJr, @BellinghamJude y @Cucurella3, nominados al Balón de Oro 2026! pic.twitter.com/h4VXSbQDHC — Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) September 8, 2026 When the 30 nominees for the award were announced last year, Real Madrid did not publish anything about the shortlisted players or the outcome. PSG’s Ousmane Dembele eventually won the prize. The fallout from Vinicius’ 2024 loss Real Madrid’s decision stemmed from what happened in 2024, when Rodri won the Ballon d’Or ahead of Vinicius. Real Madrid were furious with the result and their delegation ultimately decided not to attend the ceremony after learning that the Brazilian winger would not be crowned, despite his role in the team’s La Liga and Champions League triumphs during the 2023/24 season. The disappointment was enormous inside the club, which considered the decision an injustice. Real Madrid made their position clear on 28 October 2024 with a blunt statement on RMTV: “Right now, the Ballon d’Or no longer exists.” The club went as far as cancelling almost five hours of special Ballon d’Or programming that had been planned on RMTV. Real Madrid acknowledge the 2026 nominees This year, however, the club has taken a different approach. Real Madrid have acknowledged the 2026 nominations on their social media channels and official website, signalling an end to last year’s silence. “Mbappe, Vini Jr., Bellingham and Cucurella are among the 30 candidates for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, awarded by France Football. The nominees have been selected for their performances during the 2025/26 season,” the club stated. The change marks a clear departure from Real Madrid’s stance last year and suggests that, for now, the club has put its dispute with the Ballon d’Or behind it. Real Madrid News Jose Mourinho’s unfinished business with Real Madrid in the Champions League After three wins in four LaLiga matches, Real Madrid are set to kickstart their Champions League campaign tonight as they take on Inter Milan. It will be a special game for Jose Mourinho, who famously led Inter to a treble in 2010. But this time, he will be heading Real Madrid, in what will be the first UCL game of his second stint at the club. The Champions League has always been an interesting story for Mourinho, as far as his career at Real Madrid is concerned. Mourinho has unfinished business As reported by AS, Mourinho’s first spell at Real Madrid in the Champions League was defined by near-misses, despite some remarkable individual numbers. The Portuguese reached the semi-finals in all three of his European campaigns with the club, only to fall short each time. It was painful for the club, yet many believe he sowed the seeds for the success that would follow, with Real Madrid going on to win four Champions Leagues in the five years after his departure. Across his 36 Champions League games in charge, Mourinho recorded 24 wins, seven draws and just five defeats, a hugely impressive return. His side scored freely, particularly with Cristiano Ronaldo leading the line, and kept 16 clean sheets in that period. A tale of three semi-finals Mourinho’s European journey with Real Madrid was one of consistent progress but ultimate heartbreak. His first season saw a solvent, effective side reach the last four, with their only home defeat coming against Barcelona. The second campaign was arguably the peak, winning 10 of 12 matches, only to suffer an excruciating penalty shootout defeat to Bayern Munich in the semi-finals, with Cristiano and Kaka among those to miss from the spot. By the third and final season, however, there were signs of wear, with the numbers dipping as Real Madrid again bowed out at the semi-final stage. Now, a new chapter begins. Mourinho returns to Europe’s elite competition with Real Madrid tasked with finishing the job he started over a decade ago. This makes it even more important for Mourinho to start on a positive note by winning against Inter Milan, a team which has shown their pedigree at the highest level of football.