Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has expressed concern over the extended three-week international break in September, which replaces the traditional separate September and October windows. Speaking before Sunday's La Liga match against Malaga, Mourinho highlighted the difficulty of managing players who join national teams but do not feature in matches. "It's the ones who join the national teams and are not really involved that concern me," he said, noting the injury risks players often face during or after international duty.

The schedule change, influenced by the 2026 World Cup final date of 19 July, condenses four international fixtures into a single window. Mourinho acknowledged the challenge of managing workload for stars like Jude Bellingham, Marc Cucurella, and Kylian Mbappe following a demanding summer. He praised Bellingham's mental strength and tactical importance beyond attacking output.

On the Ballon d'Or debate, Mourinho argued the award should reflect a player's lasting legacy rather than team trophies. "You can't give the Ballon d'Or to a player because he won the Champions League or because he won the World Cup," he stated, citing legends like Maradona, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cristiano, Messi, Zizou, and Lothar Matthaus as players "we miss for eternity."