Real Madrid take on Ferencváros in Budapest pre-season friendly

Real Madrid travelled to Budapest to face Ferencváros in a pre-season friendly, the Spanish club's second warm-up match of the summer. The fixture was scheduled for Saturday, August 8, with kick-off at 10:30 p.m. IST, and was set to be shown on Realmadrid TV. According to live coverage, Vinicius Jr and Bernardo Silva were named on Madrid's bench, while Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, Aurelien Tchouameni and Thibaut Courtois were not yet available. The two clubs come from very different footballing worlds. Real Madrid, founded in 1902 and a founding member of La Liga in 1929, are using the trip to assess their squad — according to previews, under manager José Mourinho, who had a mixed week in the transfer market ahead of the game. Ferencváros, meanwhile, began their 123rd competitive season and 18th consecutive campaign in Hungary's top flight, having won the previous season's Magyar Kupa to qualify for the UEFA Europa League. For Madrid, the match is a measuring stick ahead of the new season. For Ferencváros, it is a rare chance to host one of Europe's biggest names in Budapest.

Real Madrid face Ferencváros in Budapest friendly

Real Madrid travelled to Budapest for a pre-season friendly against Hungarian champions Ferencváros, the Spanish club's second friendly of the pre-season. The fixture was scheduled for Saturday, August 8, with kick-off set for 10:30 p.m. IST.

The match was due to be played at the Ferencváros Stadion in the Hungarian capital, according to the fixture details provided. Some reports, however, named the venue as the Groupama Arena, the ground where Ferencváros play their home matches.

Viewers were able to follow the game on Realmadrid TV, the club's in-house channel, which carried coverage of the friendly. Broadcast and streaming information, including kick-off time and team news, was published ahead of the match, according to previews.

The trip to Budapest formed part of Real Madrid's preparations for the new campaign, with the Hungarian hosts providing the opposition for the second of their warm-up fixtures.

Who was available and who was missing for Madrid

According to live coverage of the fixture, Vinicius Jr and Bernardo Silva were both named on Real Madrid's bench for the trip to Budapest. Neither was reported to be in the starting side.

The same coverage indicated that several of Madrid's biggest names were not yet available for this fixture. Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, Aurelien Tchouameni and Thibaut Courtois were all absent from the matchday squad, reports said. No explanation was given for their unavailability — whether through injury, rest or other reasons was not confirmed.

The absences left the manager, reported to be José Mourinho, with a depleted group for what was only Madrid's second friendly of the pre-season, though the presence of Vinicius Jr and Bernardo Silva among the substitutes offered the possibility of high-profile reinforcements from the bench.

Mourinho uses the trip to assess his squad

Previews of the friendly identified José Mourinho as Real Madrid's manager for the fixture, though this detail carries low confidence and should be treated as reported rather than confirmed. According to those previews, Mourinho planned to use the Budapest match as an opportunity to assess his squad during the pre-season schedule. One preview described him as having experienced a mixed week in the transfer market in the days leading up to the game, adding further interest to how he would approach the fixture. The match, Real Madrid's second friendly of the pre-season, offered a chance to evaluate players ahead of the new campaign, with the manager's selections and tactical choices closely watched.

Two clubs with very different histories

The hosts arrive at this fixture in the middle of a landmark campaign. The 2026–27 season is Ferencvárosi TC's 123rd competitive season and its 18th consecutive year in Hungary's top division, the Nemzeti Bajnokság I. The Budapest club also carries European commitments this term, having entered the UEFA Europa League after winning the previous season's Magyar Kupa, a triumph that likewise secured their place in the domestic cup competition.

Their visitors bring a longer and more decorated pedigree. Real Madrid was founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club and played its first competitive match on 13 May 1902, a semi-final in the Copa de la Coronación. When Spain established its national championship in 1929, Madrid was among the founding members of La Liga, the division it has contested ever since. The friendly therefore pairs one of Hungary's most enduring institutions with one of the foundational clubs of Spanish football, a meeting of two very different footballing traditions on a Budapest evening.

1. 13 May 1902

   Real Madrid, founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, played its first competitive match in the Copa de la Coronación semi-final.

2. 1929

   Real Madrid became one of the founding members of Spain's top division, La Liga.

3. 2025–26 season

   Ferencváros won the Magyar Kupa, earning entry into the following season's UEFA Europa League and Magyar Kupa.

4. 2026–27 season

   Ferencvárosi TC began its 123rd competitive season and 18th consecutive campaign in Hungary's top flight, the Nemzeti Bajnokság I.

5. pre-season, before the friendly

   Real Madrid played one earlier pre-season friendly, making the Ferencváros fixture their second of the pre-season.

6. pre-season, before the friendly

   Manager José Mourinho had a mixed week in the transfer market ahead of the match and planned to use the game to assess his squad.

7. Saturday, 8 August, 10:30 p.m. IST

   Real Madrid were scheduled to face Ferencváros in a pre-season friendly at the Ferencváros Stadion in Budapest, with coverage on Realmadrid TV.

8. match day

   Vinicius Jr and Bernardo Silva were named on Real Madrid's bench, while Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, Aurelien Tchouameni and Thibaut Courtois were not yet available.

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