A player has been left without a place at Real Madrid, and what happened in the Club World Cup semifinal against PSG was the confirmation. It was a key match. It was an ideal stage to show hierarchy, but even then he didn't get any minutes. For a player with a contract until 2027, that's a clear message.
A night that changed everything
Real Madrid didn't rise to the occasion against PSG, the team didn't work, there was a lack of rhythm, a lack of character. Even so, Xabi Alonso didn't look to the bench to count on Dani Ceballos. He preferred to give minutes to Modric, who's no longer an active part of the project, he preferred to exhaust other options, but he didn't turn to the '19' from Utrera.
That gesture says it all, it wasn't just any rotation. It was a statement of intent. For Xabi, Ceballos isn't part of his plan, and when that happens at Madrid, the future is already written.
Competition keeps growing
The situation isn't going to improve, Arda GĆ¼ler is growing, gaining confidence and minutes. The young Turk is already a serious alternative for the midfield. He has hunger, talent, and the coach's support.
That's not all, in August Franco Mastantuono arrives, one of the most desired prospects in the South American market. Another midfielder. Another sign that the club is moving toward the future... and that future doesn't include Ceballos.
Internal competition in the midfield will be fierce. Valverde, Camavinga, TchouamƩni, Bellingham... the list goes on. Dani simply isn't among the chosen ones.
Without trust, there's no future
For a player, there's nothing harder than feeling that the coach doesn't trust you. That's what Dani is experiencing. Xabi Alonso doesn't see him as a solution, not even as a backup.
Soccer is about the present, and in the present, Ceballos doesn't play. Not even when the team needs him, not even when matches need to be changed as they're slipping away. That weighs, that leaves a mark, and that, at a club like Real Madrid, is a sentence.
The most worrying thing is that there doesn't seem to be an option to reverse the situation. The decision has been made, the coach doesn't count on him.
A goodbye that's already felt
From within the club, the message is clear: if a convincing offer arrives, Dani will be able to leave. They're not going to keep him, there's no intention to force his continuity. The cycle seems finished.
Ceballos needs to play, to have continuity. He needs to recover his form, but for that he must seek a change of scenery. Real Madrid is no longer his place, and the longer this situation drags on, the more his career wears down.