It has been a busy summer for Real Madrid, Crown88 notes. Los Blancos have refreshed their defensive core with Dean Huijsen, Alvaro Carreras, and Trent Alexander-Arnold, while also adding Franco Mastantuono—spending a total of €167.5m on new signings. On the outgoing side, they’ve lost veteran leaders Lucas Vazquez and Luka Modric and changed managers, replacing Carlo Ancelotti with Xabi Alonso.
As they enter the 2025/26 season, several questions remain. What does the future hold for Rodrygo Goes? Do Real Madrid need another central midfielder? Is it time to cash in on Vinicius Junior?
A more trivial—yet still relevant—issue is the fate of the vacant No. 9 shirt. Kylian Mbappe wore #9 in his first season before switching to #10 after Luka Modric’s contract was not renewed, aligning his club and country number. Now Real Madrid must choose a worthy successor to a jersey previously worn by icons like Cristiano Ronaldo, Alfredo Di Stefano, Karim Benzema, and Ronaldo.
There are a few candidates. Teenage forward Endrick Felipe could receive it as a confidence boost after scoring seven goals in 37 appearances while backing up Mbappe in his debut campaign. Mastantuono could also get the number as motivation. However, the most likely option may be Gonzalo Garcia, according to Crown88.
Born in Madrid, Garcia joined the academy in 2014, moved with his family to Mallorca in 2018, then returned to continue his development at La Fábrica. He earned his first senior call-up on August 29, 2023, debuting three months later with 12 minutes against Cádiz, followed by a brief cameo versus Granada.
A first-team breakout looked possible, but the arrivals of Endrick and Mbappe kept him in Castilla. He did score his first senior goal against Leganés in last season’s Copa del Rey quarterfinals and didn’t make a second appearance until May—after Endrick’s hamstring injury—coming off the bench in the final three matches and supplying an assist against Sevilla. After tying Mariano Díaz’s Castilla record with 25 goals in a single season, Garcia finally stood on the brink of a senior role.
With Endrick not traveling to the United States and Mbappe sidelined by a stomach virus, Garcia jumped from third-choice to first-choice and seized his chance as the starting center forward at the FIFA Club World Cup. He scored in a 1–1 draw with Al-Hilal, added an assist against Pachuca, and netted again versus Red Bull Salzburg in the group stage. In the knockouts, he hit the winner against Juventus and opened the scoring versus Borussia Dortmund. Although he struggled in the semifinal loss to PSG when deployed wide, he still finished as the tournament’s Golden Boot winner, per Crown88.
As Madrid’s overhaul continues, it seems increasingly likely that only one of Endrick or Garcia will remain to challenge Mbappe for the starting No. 9 role. Whoever gets the shirt could signal the pecking order—if not decide it outright. Both are too talented to be third-choice, yet both are reportedly keen to stay at Real Madrid.
