Arda Guler, Real Madrid player
Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images
Real Madrid have started the 2026-27 season quite well under Jose Mourinho, winning five of their six games so far.
Jose Mourinho is slowly settling on his preferred XI, and Arda Guler is making it increasingly difficult for the manager to imagine his strongest side without him.
Every single minute he spends on the pitch reinforces the same fact: Madrid look more inventive when the Turkey international is involved.
The most impressive part is not a spectacular goal or a decisive pass. It is how consistently Guler changes the way Madrid attack.
He sees openings early, plays between the lines and possesses the technical quality to pick out passes that other players cannot see or execute.
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Creativity has increasingly become Madrid’s biggest problem in recent years.
There is no shortage of attacking talent. Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham can attack the box and score goals brilliantly.
However, against organised opponents, somebody still needs to be the supply chain. Guler increasingly looks like that player.
𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐀 𝐆𝐔𝐋𝐄𝐑 𝐇𝐀𝐒 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐋𝐀 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐀 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 💪🇹🇷
He has already created 24 chances and currently averages 9.5 chances created per 90 minutes 😳🤯
Yesterday, he created 5 chances in just 20 minutes 🥵
Arda… pic.twitter.com/7J3lbW5y1M
— 433 (@433) September 13, 2026
He does not need to dominate possession to control the attacking rhythm. His best work often comes from receiving in tight areas, turning quickly and immediately looking forward.
Guler has already created 24 chances while averaging an extraordinary 9.5 chances created per 90 minutes.
Against Rayo Vallecano, he needed only around 20 minutes to create another five. For a player still fighting to establish himself as an undisputed starter, that level of creative influence is difficult to ignore.
His 24 chances created are particularly significant because his minutes have not always been guaranteed.
He is producing creativity at a remarkable frequency rather than simply accumulating numbers by playing every minute.
Mourinho cannot ignore this level of production
This is where Mourinho faces an interesting decision.
Yan Diomande has arrived for an enormous fee. Bernardo Silva offers experience and control.
Arda Guler is Real Madrid’s most creative player this season. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
Bellingham is one of the first names on the team sheet. Madrid have numerous ways to structure the positions behind Mbappe.
If Guler continues creating opportunities at anything close to 9.5 per 90, he has to play significant minutes.
This does not necessarily mean the Turk needs to start every game. However, Guler is moving beyond the category of a talented youngster who needs occasional opportunities.
Guler could unlock Madrid’s frightening attack
The most exciting part of Guler is what he could mean for the other players on the pitch.
He could be the key to unlocking the rest of Madrid’s attack, and his relationship with Kylian Mbappe is already almost telepathic.
There will inevitably be regression from such an extraordinary early rate of chance creation. Nobody should expect Guler to create chances at this frequency indefinitely.
However, the impact that the 21-year-old has had in Mourinho’s early days cannot be ignored. If he continues at this level, it is going to be a challenge for Yan Diomande to break into the XI, at least for the foreseeable future.
Barcelona sensation claims he deserves Ballon d’Or ahead of Kylian Mbappe: ‘I deserve it this year because…’
Lamine Yamal, Barcelona player
Lamine Yamal, Barcelona player
The Ballon d’Or debate has taken a more personal turn, with Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal making their respective cases for the prize after both emerged as leading contenders among the 30 nominees for the 2026 award.
The shortlist has intensified the discussion ahead of the ceremony on October 26, with the Barcelona winger and Real Madrid forward offering contrasting assessments of their own claims.
Mbappe was the first of the pair to make his position clear.
“I have made a lot of history in the most important competition in sport; it is a good year to win the Ballon d’Or,” he stated
That argument is built around both his individual numbers and his impact for France.
The Real Madrid forward became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history with 22 goals and played a major role in France reaching the semi-finals.
Lamine Yamal, Barcelona player
Lamine Yamal feels he has a strong case to win the Ballon d’Or. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
His club campaign was equally productive, having finished the season with 42 goals and seven assists for Real Madrid.
Yamal believes his season gives him the edge
At the same time, Yamal has no intention of conceding the argument.
The Barcelona star, who finished second in last year’s Ballon d’Or voting, believes he and Mbappe are the two strongest candidates and has made it clear that he would choose himself if given the vote.
“Who would I give it to? The best in the world. Who are they going to give it to? That’s a very long discussion. I honestly think that maybe there are two of us who are the best in the world.
“And I think I deserve it this year because of what I’ve won. Because for me, Mbappe and I are the two best in the world.
“For me, it’s very clear, and everyone who watches the games knows it,” he explains in a preview of Universo Valdano.
Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid player
Mbappe is in the running to win the award as well. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
From a neutral perspective, there is substance behind Yamal’s confidence, as he played a central role in Spain’s World Cup triumph while his club statistics also stand out.
Yamal scored 24 goals and supplied 18 assists across all competitions, while helping Barcelona win La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup.
Mbappe vs Yamal could define the Ballon d’Or race
The comparison is compelling because both players can point to a major international tournament and outstanding individual output, but their cases are built around slightly different strengths.
Mbappe’s World Cup record is difficult to overlook, as becoming the competition’s all-time leading scorer while helping France reach the semi-finals gives the Frenchman a landmark achievement that will carry considerable weight in the voting.
Yamal, on the other hand, can point to his contribution to Spain’s World Cup victory as well as a stronger trophy haul at club level.
Barcelona’s La Liga title, combined with his 24 goals and 18 assists, gives him a strong statistical and sporting case.