Thiago Pitarch: Why Real Madrid's academy gem could be their defensive midfielder of the future

Pitarch was born in Fuenlabrada, a suburb of Madrid, to a Moroccan father and Spanish mother. Football was always around, and Pitarch was very good, very young.

Technically, he came from the wrong side of town. There are plenty of top clubs all around Madrid, and Pitarch originated at the worst one of all for Blancos fans' eyes - starting his youth days at Atletico Madrid. 

But he left the crosstown rivals soon after his 11th birthday, and hopped around for a while. He spent four years with Getafe, and one more with Leganes. Finally, in 2023, he cracked the Madrid academy, then a promising 16-year-old who had scrapped his way around the capital.

His age group, though, was surprisingly light on talent. Madrid doesn't typically allow youngsters to break into the team, yet Pitarch was the pick of a rather mixed bunch. It seemed, for some time, that he might just be another academy kid sure to be loaned out, who might settle at a mid-table La Liga side.  

But that wasn't the case. Xabi Alonso, who was happy to integrate youngsters into training, first took a look at Pitarch in the summer of 2025. The weeks following the Club World Cup were odd for Los Blancos, who had admittedly little time to adjust to a far more intricate system employed by the soon-to-be-sacked head coach. 

Yet Pitarch was given minutes in pre-season, and was consistently in matchday squads to open the season - even if he had admittedly little chance of seeing the field. Yet all along, he was playing high-level football. Spain called him up to their U-20 World Cup side, and he was a regular in their run to the quarter-final, where they narrowly lost to Colombia. 

His big break, oddly enough, came in a tight game in the Champions League. Madrid were holding onto a lead against Benfica in their knockout round play-off tie, and Arbeloa introduced the 18-year-old to help see the game out. He barely touched the ball in 10 industrious minutes, but he held his own, and Madrid managed a 1-0 win to set up qualification.

"I can't describe what I felt last night. I achieved my biggest dream. That kid who went to sleep every night, always dreaming of playing for the best team in the world," he wrote on Instagram after the game. "To make my debut for Real Madrid, and for it to be in the Champions League, and to see your parents emotional and excited in the stands, is unbelievable. And for it to happen in a stadium full of the club’s great history, that's something very special."

He followed that with 10 minutes a week later, where he completed all but one of his passes and put in plenty of legwork to round off a 2-1 home victory at the Bernabeu. 

Arbeloa hailed this performance - even if it was a surprise to some.

"I understand people are surprised to see him make his debut in a Champions League match, but he's playing because I had complete confidence in him to do what he usually does. Thiago will continue to get opportunities with the first team. It's a pleasure to have a player like him," Arbeloa said.

Since then, others have come and gone from the Madrid system - yet Pitarch has remained. With Jude Bellingham out and Dani Ceballos also struggling for fitness, Madrid have turned to Pitarch to offer a mixture of industry and quality on the ball in central midfield. He has started five straight games, and has quickly become one of the first names on the teamsheet for Arbeloa. He has, in fact, kept the far more experienced Eduardo Camavinga out of the XI. 

His best games, no doubt, came against Man City, where he was dominant in the middle of the park across two legs in Madrid's comfortable Champions League last 16 win. 

"It's a match I always choose to play in FIFA," Pitarch joked in the mixed zone after the game.

Pitarch started life as a defensive midfielder, and it's easy to see why when you watch his composure with the ball. Very rare is it that a teenager can receive and circulate possession so efficiently in such high pressure environments. That much was clear against City in the first leg, where he led both teams by completing 94% of his passes - while also posting a 100% success rate on long balls. 

But he can also get around the park. Thiago is not an elite athlete, but he can certainly accelerate, and has no issues getting up for headers - even against bigger opponents. He challenged Erling Haaland once or twice in the air, and one sliding tackle on Jeremy Doku, who seemed to have evaded him, stood out. The youngster also did a fine job covering the space behind right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold when he wandered forward.

As with any youngster, the obvious one is a bit more muscle. Pitarch is just 175 cm, and has been knocked off the ball once or twice when he fails to release it quickly enough. That may not be too much of a problem in risk-averse La Liga, but he could face some issues against the more physical sides in the Champions League - not least Bayern Munich, who Madrid face next. 

He could also do with improving his positioning. There is certainly something to be said for energy and industry, but Pitarch is perhaps a little too eager at times. There will be moments where Los Blancos will need to dig in, or be a little more structured in their build up. In a game that is increasingly about one-on-one duels, Piyarch has to be able to hold his position down. 

A lot can change here. In fairness, Pitarch is so well-rounded that there aren't really any limits to put on him. Depending on the system, he could function anywhere in the midfield. But should his strengths continue to be utilized, Madrid might just have a Martin Zubimendi-type defensive midfielder on their hands. They share a penchant for a tackle, are both tidy on the ball, and play bigger than they truly are.

There's a similar ambition in their passing, too. While neither are registas of the Toni Kroos or Xabi Alonso ilk, both have no problem circulating play and setting up attacks from deeper areas. There is, of course, a long way to go. But all of the pieces seem to be there. 

Eagled-eyed viewers might have noticed, too, that Madrid are in need of a centre-midfielder of Zubimendi's ilk. Alonso asked for the Spaniard directly last summer, only to see him leave Real Sociedad for Arsenal instead. And Madrid's links to Rodri suggest that they are still after a similar profile. Pitarch isn't booting a Ballon d'Or contender out of a team anytime soon. Yet the skillset is surely in place. 

The immediate problem is his international future. Pitarch is eligible for both Spain and Morocco, and has been coveted by both national teams. Other players have made similar decisions in recent years. Brahim Diaz went for Morocco. Lamine Yamal chose Spain. According to La Roja boss Luis de la Fuente, Pitarch wants to represent the European champions.

For now, though, the focus remains on staying in the club side. The next few months could well be crucial. Bellingham is nearing full fitness, and is a guaranteed started in the middle of the park. Arbeloa is a fan of using Arda Guler on the left. Pitarch seems the most likely casualty from the midfield four. That would be immensely harsh, given his level of play. Yet Madrid have two competitions to worry about, and a La Liga title race to confront. Arbeloa will need his bench to chip in, and even if that means a lesser role, this defensive midfielder of the future may yet have time to shine.