A methodology for the analysis of wear in internal combustion engine valves is proposed, which is the result of the combined use of numerical and experimental techniques. The numerical solutions are obtained using a specialized Finite Element Method, where a mortar contact algorithm is used to model a flexible-flexible contact along with an adhesive wear law. The experimental results are obtained in a wear testing rig specifically designed to evaluate wear parameters in valve operating conditions. A good agreement was found between the experimental worn profiles and the numerical computations of wear at the contact surfaces. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.