The uncomfortable reality of Rodrygo, Militão and Mendy’s contracts

Éder Militão, Rodrygo and Ferland Mendy all started Real Madrid’s 2-0 win over Atalanta in Warsaw in the 2024 UEFA Super Cup. Kylian Mbappé had just arrived and scored on his debut, and Madrid appeared to be entering another dominant cycle. The reality that followed in the next two years was brutal.

According to Transfermarkt, Militão has missed 90 matches for club and country since the start of the 2024-25 season after suffering ACL injuries in both knees. Over the same period, Mendy has dealt with nine separate injuries and missed 55 matches for Real Madrid. Rodrygo has missed 30 matches since the beginning of 2024-25 and is currently recovering from an ACL injury of his own.

Arancha Rodríguez reported that Rodrygo is expected to return in early 2027. Militão could be back by late September or early October this year, while Mendy’s return is currently projected for around the end of the year.

As per Capology, Rodrygo’s fixed gross annual salary, excluding bonuses, is €16.67 million. Éder Militão earns €14.58 million, while Ferland Mendy earns €10.42 million. All three contracts run until June 30, 2028.

Together, those contracts account for 14.12% of Real Madrid’s current salary bill for 2026-27 and 16.13% for 2027-28. The latter figure is naturally subject to change depending on the club’s transfer activity in the summer of 2027.

Football can change quickly, but based on the squad as it currently stands, and particularly following the arrivals of Yan Diomande, Ibrahima Konaté, Marc Cucurella, Dean Huijsen and Álvaro Carreras, it is difficult to see Rodrygo, Militão or Mendy having prominent roles for the remainder of their contracts, even if all three are available.

Real Madrid have historically handled player contracts with considerable respect, particularly in cases involving serious injuries. The club, for example, announced Dani Carvajal’s renewal the day after he suffered an ACL injury. The idea that Madrid would look to terminate contracts simply because of injuries is therefore unrealistic.

Rodrygo, Militão and Mendy have all made significant contributions to Real Madrid’s success, particularly during the double-winning campaigns of 2022 and 2024. Their place in that period of the club’s history is secure. The more difficult reality now is that Madrid may have to carry the financial weight of those contracts until 2028 while receiving relatively limited sporting value in return, based on the players’ current level and their projected roles within the squad.