The Psychology Behind Real Madrid’s Unrivaled Club Value

Real Madrid is not the perfect team. The odd blemish, like a surprising league defeat at an inspired Rayo Vallecano this season, says as much. Yet, for the most part, Carlo Ancelotti’s group possesses an almost bullet-proof mental resilience, which lays the foundations for winning, winning, and winning again.

As a brand built on sporting excellence, virtually nothing but the best is acceptable for Los Blancos, with fans demanding a marriage of tireless work and slick play. It’s a culture integral to the long-standing Madridismo soccer identity and breeds the success to unlock boundless commercial opportunities and popularity—part of the reason it’s currently the most valuable soccer side on the planet.

So, how does a squad of internationals—about to disband temporarily for the World Cup—embody this ideal today?

It doesn’t so much come down to the players’ feet but what goes on between their ears. At their best, that is Thibaut Courtois, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Karim Benzema, and the youngsters coming through who set the tone. Joining them next could be Endrick, Gianluca Prestianni, and highly-rated Jude Bellingham, with the board most likely to start drafting in reinforcements next summer. Then there is president Florentino Pérez and the club’s senior decision-makers in the background.

A unique mentality

The attitude and aptitude needed to win multiple European and La Liga trophies are considerable and incumbent on everyone involved. And as Qatar-bound striker Benzema aims to build form before a date with Liverpool in the Champions League knockout stages, it’s worth remembering what players like him can do when the stakes are high.

En route to the Champions League title last term, Benzema casually chipped in a Panenka penalty in the semifinals against Manchester City, showing swagger under immense pressure to leave everyone stunned. A few months later, a Ballon d’Or duly followed.

Soccer psychologist Geir Jordet recognizes Benzema’s confidence in consistently scoring all different types of goals.

“To successfully try the most spectacular shot of all at such a big moment is in line with what one could expect from him, ” he says. “With that said, doing something like that requires an intense emotional composure, control of himself, and control of the situation.

“This comes from experience, trust in what one can do at the moment, and maybe a burst of wild imagination and productive insanity at that moment.”

Beyond that, though, is a stubborn team attitude to compete right until the end. When behind in games, it is almost inevitable that it will find a way to win or at least escape with a point, even if it comes in the final seconds and is not always so pretty. That’s where everyone comes into play.

A star-studded group

With wisdom and experience, manager Carlo Ancelotti has done well to make his best players work diligently for the team while not stifling their flair, something that every elite-level manager strives to achieve.

“It’s most impressive that Madrid can build well-functioning and seemingly cohesive teams out of a group of individual superstars,” Jordet adds.

“This is not as easy as it sounds, and many teams have been unable to do that. It requires a specific type of leadership shown by coaches such as Ancelotti, (Zinedine) Zidane, and (Vicente) del Bosque.

“These coaches have been able to build such teams under very impatient and unstable circumstances, where you typically don’t get much time when there is an inevitable string of bad results and get fired.”

Even so, competing on all fronts tends to involve spending lots of money. In this instance, signings and investment are not the only ways forward, with team spirit the key. The institution can even make forward strides while not making profits on transfers.

When prompted on this, Jordet explains: “It will always be a combination. It’s not enough to buy the best individuals and expect them to perform together on the highest stage.

“For that, you also need quality leadership and exceptional psychological preparation, which Real Madrid seems to master time and again.”

Small cracks appearing

With all this in mind, Real losing becomes even more surprising, not least due to how much it takes to triumph against Ancelotti’s lineup.

Some unexpected slip-ups—including home draws against Osasuna and Girona before the Rayo loss—have put Barcelona, with an enviable defensive record, in the box seat when La Liga resumes on New Year’s Eve. In the Osasuna game, Benzema even missed the target from the penalty spot, showing rare fallibility when everyone expected a routine outcome. Just when he and Real Madrid seemed indomitable, chinks of weakness appeared.

Now is not when the team earns its reputation, though. That will come during the so-called business end of the campaign when silverware is on the line. If within touching distance, the team has the psychological toughness to take home the trophies again. While not impossible, it will take a significant setback to knock Real out of contention in 2023.