Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring early as Real Madrid defeated Schalke 3-0 in their final preseason friendly in Gelsenkirchen. Dean Huijsen doubled the lead with a header before halftime, and substitute Carlos Espí added a third in the second half. Under new coach José Mourinho, Madrid remained unbeaten in four preseason matches and will begin their 2026-27 La Liga campaign next Saturday at Espanyol.

Summer signings Ibrahima Konaté and Bernardo Silva started the match, while Marc Cucurella, Denzel Dumfries, Espí, and Yan Diomande came on from the bench. Mourinho acknowledged the varying intensity levels among new and established players, noting that those who joined later had fewer training sessions but were gradually adapting tactically.

After making four changes at halftime, Mourinho introduced Andriy Lunin, Antonio Rüdiger, Eduardo Camavinga, and Espí, who scored within minutes. Diomande and Cucurella made their debuts in the final hour, with Jude Bellingham also getting his first preseason minutes.

Cucurella expressed satisfaction with the performance, calling it a strong finish before the league begins. Mourinho emphasized the team's collective growth, stating that combining very good individual talents would create a very, very good team.