Real Madrid defender receives new squad number ahead of 2025/26 season | OneFootball

Real Madrid have confirmed that young defender Raul Asencio will wear the number 17 shirt from the 2025/26 campaign.

The move comes as part of a wider update to the club’s squad numbers, which also includes Kylian Mbappe officially taking over the number 10.

The number 17 shirt has been vacant since Lucas Vazquez’s departure. For nearly a decade, it belonged to the winger, who had inherited it from Alvaro Arbeloa.

Now, that number finds a new owner in Raul Asencio, signalling the club’s belief in his long-term potential.

Asencio registered as first-team player

Asencio’s official registration as a first-team player happened just recently, reinforcing the club’s confidence in the 22-year-old centre-back.

With this registration and the assignment of a senior number, Real Madrid have made their intentions clear that they see Asencio as a core part of Xabi Alonso’s plans going forward.

Raul Asencio will wear the number 10 shirt at Real Madrid. (Picture credit: Real Madrid website)

As of now, only two squad numbers remain unassigned — 9 and 25. Notably, young stars Gonzalo Garcia and Franco Mastantuono are still listed without first-team numbers, meaning further updates could follow in the coming weeks.

Tough start under Xabi Alonso

While the number shirt confirmation is a big step forward, Asencio is facing a tough challenge on the pitch.

Since Xabi Alonso took charge, the defender has struggled to maintain the form he showed last season.

His performances at the Club World Cup were below expectations. He gave away a penalty against Al Hilal in his first appearance and received a red card early in the second match.

These mistakes saw him sidelined for most of the tournament until the semi-final against PSG, where he returned to the starting XI.

Despite the setbacks, Real Madrid have chosen to stand by the young centre-back since assigning him the first-team number is a sign of trust and a fresh opportunity.