Report – Inside the work behind Real Madrid star’s resurgence after World Cup disappointment

Report – Inside the work behind Real Madrid star’s resurgence after World Cup disappointment Having had to face the disappointment of missing out on Spain’s 2026 FIFA World Cup triumph, Real Madrid defender is back in the national team setup. The 20-year-old starlet has made a positive start to the season at Real Madrid under new manager Jose Mourinho, which paved the way for him to earn a recall to the La Roja squad. On Tuesday night, he made his first appearance for the national team since March, starting in the win over Croatia, where he put in a fine performance. An extensive report from MARCA has highlighted the work that Huijsen put in over the past few months in order to return to his best version. Huijsen’s resurgence: Hard work in Bali and Marbella Huijsen’s absence from the World Cup squad came as a consequence of a dip in form at Real Madrid during the final months of the 2025/26 season, and the defender has admitted that it affected him greatly. “It was a huge blow. I struggled, it was a very sad moment for me and my family,” he admitted. Huijsen is back in the Spain setup. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images) Not one to get bogged down, his response began during the summer. Huijsen went on holiday to Bali with friends, away from the noise as he needed to switch off after a difficult few months. But the break quickly gave way to work. He began training hard in Indonesia and, after returning to Spain, settled in Marbella and started working individually with his father. Huijsen worked on both his physical condition and his mindset, with sessions away from the spotlight designed to ensure he arrived at pre-season ready to convince Mourinho. And he arrived flying. Mourinho’s trust earned The manager needed little time to make him a permanent fixture in the Real Madrid backline ahead of more experienced players such as Antonio Rudiger and Ibrahima Konate. Barring the Rayo Vallecano clash, where he was rested, Huijsen has started all matches for Los Blancos this term. The red card in the derby against Atletico Madrid was the first blemish of his season. Until that sending-off his overall performance had been solid at the Metropolitano, where he was easily overwhelmed last season, was solid, highlighting his improveent. Huijsen has started the season strongly under Mourinho. (Photo by Francisco Macia/Getty Images) Moreover, the derby clearly has not affected him adversely this time, as he demonstrated with Spain. Against Croatia, he delivered an outstanding performance, playing with the calmness of someone completely comfortable in his role. Mourinho already sees him as the key figure in his defence, while Luis de la Fuente has once again placed his trust in the centre-back who has rediscovered his confidence. Huijsen wants to make history with both Real Madrid and Spain. He has the ability, and these past few months have shown that he also has the mentality to pursue those ambitions. His response to the most difficult period of his young career has been impressive. After enduring a painful setback, Huijsen is moving in the right direction.