Federico Valverde described his first match as Real Madrid captain at the Santiago Bernabeu as a moment he will cherish for the rest of his life.
The 28-year-old wore the armband as Jose Mourinho’s side produced a 4-1 victory over Real Sociedad in their second LaLiga match of the 2026/27 season, but the result was only part of what made the occasion so significant for the Uruguayan.
Valverde has spent the majority of his senior career at Madrid, progressing from Real Madrid Castilla before establishing himself in the first team.
Now, after 247 senior appearances and 25 goals for the club, he has reached another milestone by leading the side out as captain at the Bernabeu.
“First game at the Bernabéu as club captain? I will remember this day for the rest of my life. I’ll never forget it”
The significance of the occasion was heightened by the presence of his family.
“My family is here and they told me they were really moved”
Federico Valverde says he will remember his first match as Real Madrid captain at the Bernabéu for the rest of his life after the 4-1 win over Real Sociedad. Photocredit: Imago
Valverde also provided an insight into what changed inside the Madrid dressing room at half time.
Despite Mbappé putting the hosts ahead in the first half, Sociedad quickly responded through Luka Sučić, leaving the teams level at the interval.
Mourinho subsequently demanded greater pressure from his players, according to Valverde.
“At half time Mourinho spoke to us about putting more pressure”
The midfielder said Madrid responded to the manager’s instructions and became increasingly comfortable after the break.
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“We made adjustments and became more comfortable. His half time talk helped us a lot”
The difference was clear. Madrid moved through the gears after the restart, with Mbappr scoring his second before Vinicius Junior extended the advantage. Mbappe then completed his hattrick to put the game beyond Sociedad.
The performance also reinforced Mourinho’s assessment after the match that his team had been much better in the second half.
Valverde tells Madrid fans to enjoy Mbappé
While Valverde’s night was personally memorable, the biggest individual storyline belonged to Mbappé.
The France captain scored three times as Madrid turned a 1-1 half-time scoreline into a convincing victory.
Valverde believes Madrid supporters should simply appreciate having a player of Mbappé’s quality in their team.
“Having a player like Mbappe is spectacular. Incredible”
“I’ve always said that we have to enjoy him. He has done what he did today a lot of times before”.
Federico Valverde and Kylian Mbappe.
Mbappe’s three goals took his tally to three in his opening two LaLiga matches of the campaign, while the supplied milestone figures place his Real Madrid contribution at 88 goals and 12 assists.
That production has made him one of the central figures in Madrid’s attack, with Vinicius also getting on the scoresheet against Sociedad.
Valverde’s own journey provides a striking contrast to Mbappé’s superstar status. the Uruguayan joined Real Madrid Castilla in 2016 and made 30 appearances, scoring three goals before stepping into the senior side in 2017. Since then, he has accumulated 247 senior appearances and 25 goals for Real Madrid,
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