One of Real Madrid’s most important players is defensive midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni. However, Jude Bellingham and Fede Valverde, the team’s star forwards, get most of the praise and Ballon d’Or love for the 2024–25 season.

 

 

 

As one of the best No. 6s in the world, Tchouameni screens the defense so well that he can even play center back by himself and make beautiful passes with his high football IQ and physical skill. No one else on Real Madrid can do what he does.

In Real’s 3-1 win over Stuttgart to start the 2024–25 Champions League season, Tchouameni was not given enough attention, but there is one pass that everyone should look at again.

From his own half, Tchouameni quickly looked over his shoulder and then hit the ball across his body with one touch. It skipped into the final third and fell right into the path of Rodrygo Goes on the right wing.

The ball skipped right in front of the defender and over his desperately raised leg before it reached Rodrygo. He only had to sprint into space and pass the ball to Kylian Mbappe, who scored Real Madrid’s first goal against Stuttgart with his fifth goal of the season.

It was a beautiful sequence that was put together in an instant, reminding me of when Jose Mourinho was directing Real Madrid’s in his prime. It was a 10/10 pass from a 10/10 player in Tchouameni, who made Madrid fans think of a great Toni Kroos or Xabi Alonso with that beautiful pass to Rodrygo before he set up Mbappe’s goal.