A new chapter began at Real Madrid this week, as club legend Xabi Alonso took charge of his first official match at the helm of the Spanish giants. However, the highly anticipated debut did not unfold as expected. In their Club World Cup opener against Saudi side Al-Hilal, Real Madrid was held to a 1-1 draw, with the result marked by missed opportunities, a saved penalty, and one particularly unexpected storyline: the lackluster performance of Vinicius Junior, who was widely regarded as the team’s most underwhelming player on the night.
Playing at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Alonso’s men struggled to find their rhythm in the first half. Although Gonzalo Garcia, a youth academy product, opened the scoring in the 34th minute, Al-Hilal responded quickly, equalizing through Ruben Neves’ penalty just seven minutes later.
The game seemed headed toward a dramatic finish when Federico Valverde earned a stoppage-time penalty, but his effort was denied by goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, whose heroics salvaged a point for Simone Inzaghi’s Al-Hilal.
Despite the frustrating result, Xabi Alonso maintained a composed tone in the post-match press conference: “The second half was much better than the first, where we lost the ball too quickly. Afterward, we gave it more meaning and had more control in the game,” he told reporters at Hard Rock Stadium.
The mystery behind Vinicius’ off night
While Alonso’s tactical approach showed glimpses of promise, Vinicius’ performance left much to be desired. The Brazilian winger, typically one of Los Blancos’ most dangerous attacking players, struggled to create chances and failed to get past Joao Cancelo, who dominated their one-on-one duels.
Alonso opted to substitute the star winger midway through the second half, replacing him with academy prospect Victor Munoz. It was a decision that raised eyebrows—until the manager revealed the unexpected explanation.
“Vinicius had cramps because of the heat, because of the field,” Alonso explained. “No excuses, but it was very hot. Asensio was on antibiotics, and we had to substitute him. Vinicius had cramps in the 70th minute.”
That wasn’t the only oddity surrounding Vinicius’ night. According to a report from Defensa Central, the winger expressed frustration during a cooling break: “They don’t let me go one-on-one against the opponent,” the 24-year-old Brazilian reportedly told his new manager. The coach replied encouragingly, urging him to keep taking on his marker.
Still, the winger’s effort fell flat, and the tactical discipline of the Blue Waves’ defense—especially Cancelo—left him neutralized. For a player of Vinicius’ explosiveness and flair, it was a performance that lacked all the usual spark.
