#Real Madrid have assembled the youngest squad¹ in the last two decades, with an average age of 25.07 years for the 2025-26 season, marking the lowest since the 1998-99 campaign when the team averaged 24.88 years.

President Florentino Pérez’s strategic focus on youth, exemplified by recent signings like 17-year-old Franco Mastantuono and 20-year-old Dean Huijsen, reflects a long-term vision that has excited fans and reshaped the club’s identity.

Pérez’s transfer policy has evolved significantly since his first term (2000-2006), which was defined by signing established stars like Luís Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo Nazário, and David Beckham.

In his second term, starting in 2009, the paradigm² shifted towards global young talent. “Now the sporting project must be approached differently,” Pérez declared in 2017, acknowledging the changing dynamics³ of football with state-run clubs.

His rule of not signing players over 30, with rare exceptions like Ricardo Carvalho (2010), Diego López (2013), and Joselu (2023), underscores this commitment.

Mastantuono, who will turn 18 next week, represents the pinnacle⁴ of this strategy. The young Argentine, already a debutant for his national team and the youngest ever to play in an official match, joins a squad that includes other prodigious⁶ talents like Endrick (18) and Daniel Yáñez (17).

The club’s youth system continues to be a breeding ground for future stars, with historical precedents⁷ like Martín Ødegaard’s debut⁵ at 16 years and 157 days in 2015, Iker Casillas at 18 years and 115 days in 1999, and Samuel Eto’o at 17 years and 270 days in 1998.

This youthful squad, with an average age narrowly surpassing the 2015-16 (25.39 years) and 2010-11 (25.16 years) teams, signals a long-term investment in titles.

The strategy has been effective, as seen in recent decades, where young players like Ødegaard, Casillas, and Eto’o have transitioned into global icons⁸.

The current squad confirms that success is increasingly forged through patience and development, rather than immediate⁹ star power.