Champions League Omission Spells the End for Toughest Defender Lamine Yamal Ever Faced

Ferland Mendy has been omitted from Real Madrid’s Champions League squad for the 2026–27 season, with the defender surely nearing the end of his time at the Bernabéu.

Mendy was the only senior player at the club not on the 25-man List A submitted to UEFA this week, as José Mourinho opted instead to give his berth to new teenage signing Sergio Martínez amid a mini-crisis in midfield.

The 31-year-old Mendy has not featured for Real Madrid this season as he continues to recover from a serious hamstring injury suffered back in May, while he made just nine appearances total across 2025–26, amid various other fitness issues.

Mendy’s most high-profile outing came as he played the entirety of the 4–3 Champions League quarterfinal second leg defeat to Bayern Munich back in April, when he was preferred to Álvaro Carreras and Fran García at left back. Since then, he has completed 90 minutes for Los Blancos just once—a 1–1 draw with Real Betis.

Though his contract does not expire until the summer of 2028, Mendy is widely expected to depart Real Madrid once fit again—either in January or next summer—with, seemingly, no place for him left in Mourinho’s team.

Mendy’s Rise and Fall

Ferland Mendy is currently recovering from a hamstring issue. | Oscar J. Barroso/Europa Press/Getty Images

Joining from Lyon in 2019 for an initial fee of €48 million ($55.5 million), the Frenchman has made over 200 first-team appearances for Madrid and is currently one of the club’s longest-serving players—after captain Federico Valverde and Thibaut Courtois.

The two-time Champions League winner was highly regarded for his defensive acumen—even after his body began to fail him.

Back in 2024, after a particularly grueling run-in with the France international, Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal named Mendy as the toughest defender he’s ever faced.

“The fullback who has defended me best is Mendy,” he told Radioestadio. “In the Spanish Super Cup final, Ferland Mendy was a tough challenge for me.”

In seven full seasons for the club, Mendy has missed a whopping 189 games through injury—the majority of which have come in the last two seasons—with Los Blancos eventually making plans without him.

Mourinho identified left back as an to upgrade this summer, with Marc Cucurella signed from Chelsea for €55 million ($63 million). Mendy now sits third choice in the squad behind Álvaro Carreras.

Opportunity for Martínez

Sergio Martínez could go straight into the team this week. | Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

While Mendy misses out on the Champions League list, there is space for Éder Militão and Rodrygo, who are two more long-term injury absentees.

Meanwhile, new signing Martínez has also been inlcuded as part of the club’s List A, after arriving from Racing Santander late in the transfer window.

The 19-year-old, who is expected to yo-yo between the first team and Castilla this season, could even see game time this week as Madrid begin their European season against Inter.

Eduardo Camavinga, Bernardo Silva and Arda Güler are all suspended for the league phase match at the Bernabéu on Tuesday, while Auréluen Tchaoumeni and Thiago Pitarch are injured, leaving Federico Valverde as the only specialist senior option.

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