SALVADOR, BRAZIL - NOVEMBER 19: Federico Valverde of Uruguay celebrates after scoring the team's first goal during the South American FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier match between Brazil and Uruguay at Arena Fonte Nova on November 19, 2024 in Salvador, Brazil.

Key Real Madrid star gets back to scoring ways with his national team

Photo by Pedro Vilela/Getty Images

There is no doubt that despite the presence of some of the best midfielders on the planet, this Real Madrid midfield is lacking something that is keeping it from performing at its best level.

Some commentators have identified the departure of Toni Kroos from the team that has led to its dip in form, as the German was not only one of the best passers of the ball but also a true leader in the middle of the pitch who organised his colleagues and dictated the tempo of the game with his amazing abilities.

There is no doubt that the Merengues will find it impossible to replace the German cyborg in their team. However, there is already a player in their squad who had been identified by Kroos himself as his successor in the Real Madrid team, i.e., Federico Valverde.

The Uruguayan midfielder has grown to become a key part of the Real Madrid team over the last few years and is currently one of the best midfielders in the world. Like Kroos, one of his outstanding virtues is his ability to provide a very high level of performance even on his off days.

However, even he struggled as Los Blancos underwent a difficult last few weeks, in which they were defeated by their arch-rivals FC Barcelona in La Liga and by AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League.

Still, he was able to recover his form ahead of the November international break with a good performance against Osasuna. Currently, with his Uruguayan national team, he is once again on his way to recovering his best level, which was particularly evident with his last night’s performance against Brazil.

The Real Madrid midfielder got on the scoresheet in this game, as he opened the scores with a thunderous shot from outside of the area in the 53rd minute. He had already come close to scoring in the first half from a similar distance but made his chance count in the second half.

This goal was the most notable contribution from the midfielder on the night, but he also put in a good shift in other aspects of the game, and was given a rating of 7.3 on Sofascore. In his 90 minutes on the pitch, he recorded an 83% passing success rate, as he completed 38 of his 46 passes. He also provided 1 key pass and put in 3 crosses, 2 of which were accurate.

He also won 2 of his 3 ground duels and also had some defensive contributions as he made 1 clearance, 1 tackle, and conceded 1 foul.

However, there were also some areas that clearly needed improvement, as he lost the ball 13 times on the night, and none of his two attempted long balls were accurate.

Although still not back to his best, this was another impressive showing for the Real Madrid star. Hopefully, this goal will help him recover his form, and he will continue to dominate the midfield, or the right flank, for the Merengues once he returns to action with his club side.

Tags Federico Valverde

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