Caught between the disappointment of a season that just ended and the renewed hope of a new campaign, Real Madrid will begin its 2025 FIFA Club World Cup run on Wednesday in Florida, taking on Saudi side Al Hilal in their tournament debut.
The spotlight is firmly on Xabi Alonso, who returns to Madrid as head coach after an impressive spell at Bayer Leverkusen. Alonso, who played 246 official matches with Los Blancos before finishing his career at Bayern Munich, now steps into the spotlight as the club’s new leader—perhaps even more so than Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen, both set to debut in the starting lineup.
With limited time to instill his tactical approach, Alonso is already dealing with a number of injuries. He won’t be able to count on Rüdiger, Carvajal, Militao, Mendy, Alaba, or Camavinga, so his first starting eleven will be fairly predictable—assuming Kylian Mbappé is available.
Mbappé sidelined with fever, will start on the bench
Despite boasting a star-studded roster, Madrid will be missing a key figure from the opening whistle: Kylian Mbappé. The French superstar is dealing with a fever that kept him out of Tuesday’s training session and has lingered since the day before.
see also
Why isn’t Kylian Mbappé playing for Real Madrid vs. Al-Hilal in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025?
Mbappé will not start, but he will be available on the bench. However, given his current physical condition, it’s unclear whether he’ll see any playing time in this first match.
A familiar opponent
This will be the second official meeting between Real Madrid and Al Hilal. The two sides previously met in the 2022 Club World Cup final, held in February 2023, where Madrid won 5–3. Vinícius scored twice, Valverde added two more, and Benzema netted once.
see also
How to watch Real Madrid vs Al Hilal in the USA: Live Stream and TV for FIFA Club World Cup 2025
From that Ancelotti-led squad, Tchouaméni, Valverde, and Vinícius are expected to start again, while several others from that lineup—Lunin, Carvajal, Rüdiger, Alaba, Camavinga, and Modrić—remain on the roster. This tournament will likely mark Modrić’s final appearance in a Madrid shirt.
Projected lineups – Real Madrid vs Al Hilal
Real Madrid: Courtois; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Asencio, Huijsen, Fran García; Tchouaméni, Valverde, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Vinícius Jr., and Gonzalo García.
Al Hilal: Bono; Cancelo, Koulibaly, Al-Tambakti, Renan Lodi; Rúben Neves, Milinković-Savić, N. Al-Dawsari; Malcom, S. Al-Dawsari, Leonardo.
