HIGHLIGHTS
Penalty, 90+2′
Federico Valverde
Misses a penalty.
Penalty, 41′
Rúben Neves
Scores a penalty.
Goal, 34′
Gonzalo Garcia
Scores a goal.
Al-Hilal SFC from Saudi Arabia and Real Madrid drew 1-1 today at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, in the opening match of Group H of the Club World Cup.
For this game, coach Xabi Alonso started two of his newest defensive signings: Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen, who aimed to provide solidity at the back.
One of the surprises in the Madrid lineup was the inclusion of Gonzalo García, promoted from the Castilla-La Mancha reserve team, who made his debut as a starter in place of the injured Kylian Mbappé. Alonso’s gamble paid off—García scored his first goal with the senior team in the 34th minute.
Real Madrid Lacks Ideas in the First Half
In a first half with few highlights, Real Madrid showed a lack of creativity in midfield, where the absence of a playmaker like Luka Modrić or Arda Güler was evident. The team clearly missed a player who could distribute the ball and control the tempo.
Nonetheless, it was the Saudi team that issued the first serious warning in the 19th minute, when Renan Lodi took advantage of a defensive lapse and created danger with a fine individual move, though it was ultimately disallowed by VAR.
Second Half
In the second half, Real Madrid showed a more dynamic offensive version. Arda Güler came on for Raúl Asencio in the 46th minute, and there was improved communication in the midfield.
Madrid went on to generate more dangerous chances in front of the Saudi goal. However, a lack of precision in the final third kept the score from changing.
Al-Hilal continued to press and fulfilled their threat in the 49th minute, when Rúben Neves equalized 1-1 by converting a penalty following a foul by Asencio—much to the surprise of the media and fans witnessing Xabi Alonso’s debut.
Madrid had a chance to clinch victory near the end, but Valverde missed a penalty in the 90+2 minute.
Despite their efforts, the white-clad team still struggles to play cohesive football: the disconnect between defense, midfield, and attack remains evident. This will be a key area for Xabi Alonso to address as the tournament progresses.
Real Madrid’s next match will be on Sunday, June 22, against Pachuca at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, for the second round of the 2025 Club World Cup.
The merengue squad failed to assert clear dominance at a packed Hard Rock Stadium, where fans were eager to see the new-look Madrid still under construction.
 Real Madrid |
|---|
| Courtois |
| Trent |
| Asencio |
| Huijsen |
| Fran García |
| Tchouameni |
| Valverde |
| Bellingham |
| Vini Jr. |
| Rodrygo |
| Gonzalo |
 Al Hilal |
|---|
| Bono |
| Koulobaly |
| Lodi |
| Neves |
| Leonarod |
| Nasser |
| Cancelo |
| Sergel |
| Salem |
| Malco |
| Altambakti |
Changes
| – |
|---|
| Arda Guler | ↔ | R. Asencio |
| Lucas Vázquez | ↔ | A.Arnold |
| Brahim Díaz | ↔ | Rodrygo |
| Luka Modrić | ↔ | Bellingham |
| H. Al-Yami | ↔ | Cancelo |
| M. Al-Qahtani | ↔ | Malcom |
| M. Kanno | ↔ | Al-Dawsari |
| M. Al-Harbi | ↔ | Bellingham |
| M. Al-Juwayr | ↔ | Renan Lodi |
| M. Al-Harbi | ↔ | Marcos Leonardo |
