Real Madrid Announce José Mourinho as New Head Coach on World Cup 2026 Opening Day

It’s official, the Portuguese manager returns to the Bernabéu as both sides look to re-establish themselves at the top of European football.

Real Madrid have officially announced this Thursday the appointment of Portuguese manager José Mourinho as the new head coach of the first team on a three-year deal running until June 30, 2029, replacing Álvaro Arbeloa. The 63-year-old will join the club on July 13, the start date of pre-season.

In a statement on their website, the club said: “The Board of Directors of Real Madrid CF, meeting today Thursday June 11 and chaired by Florentino Pérez, has agreed to appoint José Mourinho as head coach of the first team for the next three seasons, until June 30, 2029.”

Mourinho returns to the Santiago Bernabéu, where he previously managed the team for three seasons between 2010–11 and 2012–13.

His appointment marks one of Florentino Pérez’s key election promises, as the Real Madrid president secured re-election after defeating Enrique Riquelme, with the aim of restoring the club’s competitive edge after two disappointing seasons.

To secure his return, Real Madrid will pay Benfica a $17.3 million dollars (€15 million) release clause, a figure confirmed by the Portuguese club.

Mourinho now faces a demanding task ahead, including squad planning, pre-season preparation, and arranging friendly matches as he begins his second spell in charge of Los Blancos.

The deal had already been anticipated earlier this week after Benfica informed the Portuguese Securities Market Commission of Real Madrid’s intention to activate the release clause, also confirming that Marco Silva will take over as his replacement.