Sergio Martínez makes Real Madrid's Champions League squad in place of Ferland Mendy

A signing meant for the reserve team has, within days, wound up squarely on the Champions League's big squad list. Real Madrid sent UEFA its A and B lists for the competition's league phase, and one absence stands out: Ferland Mendy isn't on it. In his place is Sergio Martínez, the midfielder who arrived from Racing de Santander this summer.

The explanation is more about regulations than football decisions. Martínez doesn't meet the requirements to make List B, the one UEFA reserves for homegrown players: you have to have been born on or after January 1, 2005, and have spent, since age 15, either two straight seasons at the club or three seasons including a year on loan within the same national federation. Since he just arrived, he doesn't fit either scenario. And since the club did want to register him, the only door left open was List A, the 25 spots for the first team. That's where he took the place Mendy vacated.

The French left back has been dealing with injuries for several seasons now and has gradually lost standing in the locker room. On top of that, the position is well covered: Marc Cucurella and Álvaro Carreras split that flank without any trouble. So between a player who's physically compromised and one who absolutely needed a spot on the list, Mourinho and the club went with Martínez.

What's notable is that the original plan was different. The idea had been for the midfielder to join Castilla and gradually work his way toward the first team under Mourinho's watch. Those plans changed fast: he's already logged two training sessions with the first team and is in the squad for Friday's match against Real Betis.

Ciria, the other side of the same rule

The same rule that opened a door for Sergio Martínez closed another one for Alexis Ciria. The winger, signed from Sevilla in January 2026, had genuinely featured since preseason and appeared in Mourinho's first three LaLiga squads. But like Martínez, he hasn't spent enough time at the club to qualify for List B, and there was no room left on List A: all 25 spots are taken.

One player who did make List B was Thiago Pitarch, a homegrown midfielder who lands there precisely because List A is already full. He's joined by seven other academy products: defenders Jesús Fortea, Joan Martínez and Mario Rivas; midfielders Jorge Cestero, Diego Villalba and Gabriel Valero; and forward Daniel Yáñez.

With the lists now finalized, attention turns to the opener. Real Madrid begins the Champions League league phase next Tuesday against Inter, a match for which Mourinho won't be able to call on three players suspended for red cards from last season: Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Güler and Bernardo Silva.