Result Real Madrid 1 – 1 Al Hilal Riyadh, Wednesday 18 June 2025, FIFA Club World Cup, Group stage

FIFA Club World Cup

Result Real Madrid 1 – 1 Al Hilal Riyadh, Wednesday 18 June 2025, FIFA Club World Cup, Group stage

Real Madrid and Al Hilal ended their debut in the FIFA Club World Cup with a draw on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. This match was Xabi Alonso’s first official game as the head coach of Real Madrid.

Former Inter Coach Simone Inzaghi made his debut with his new team, Al Hilal. A last-minute penalty taken by Federico Valverde was saved by Al Hilal’s Yassine Bounou, highlighting a day when Madrid’s stamina and creativity faded in the heat and humidity.

With Mbappé sidelined, it was the 21-year-old Garcia who took the lead for Madrid, and he certainly delivered, while new recruit Trent Alexander-Arnold fell short of the expectations that led the Spanish club to sign him from Liverpool.

The action …

Gonzalo García, filling in for the ill Kylian Mbappé, gave Madrid an early advantage in the 34th minute. García found the net with a right-footed shot from the center of the box into the bottom left corner, beating goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. He was assisted by Rodrygo during a quick counterattack.

Al Hilal equalized in the 41st minute with a penalty. Rúben Neves successfully converted the penalty with a right-footed shot into the bottom right corner. The penalty was awarded after Raúl Asencio fouled Marcos Leonardo in the penalty area.

In the 92nd minute, Real Madrid squandered the opportunity to secure a win. Federico Valverde took the penalty, but his low right-footed shot aimed at the bottom corner was saved by Bounou. This penalty was given after Mohammed Al Qahtani fouled García.

Meanwhile, RB Salzburg and Pachuca are set to clash in the other Group H match later on Wednesday. Madrid will face the Mexican team on Sunday, while Al Hilal will go up against Salzburg in what could be a crucial match for advancing to the knockout stage.

Stats before the game

The encounter with Al Hilal will signify the start of a new chapter for Los Merengues under Xabi Alonso’s leadership, following a challenging 2024-2025 season with Carlo Ancelotti, who has since taken on the role of head coach for Brazil.

As the two favorites in Group H prepare to face off, it’s worth noting that they have only met once before, during the final of the previous format of the Club World Cup. In that thrilling match in 2023, Real Madrid emerged victorious in a high-scoring game, with Vini Jr. and Federico Valverde each scoring twice, along with a goal from Karim Benzema.

The Player of the Match award is presented to Gonzalo Garcia of Real Madrid.
FIFA Club World Cup Group Stage
Real Madrid 1 – 1 Al Hilal Riyadh

Match Officials

Real Madrid 1 – 1 Al Hilal
Referee: Facundo Tello ARG
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Belatti ARG
Assistant Referee 2: Gabriel Chade ARG
Fourth Official: Cesar Ramos MEX
VAR: Leodan Gonzalez URU
AVAR: Hernan Mastrangelo ARG
SVAR: Tatiana Guzman NCA

Lineup REAL MADRID (4-3-3): Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Asencio, Huijsen, Fran Garcia; Tchouameni, Valverde, Bellingham; Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo, Gonzalo.

Coach:  Xabi Alonso

Lineup AL-HILAL (4-2-3-1): Bono; Cancelo, Altambakti, Koulibaly, R. Lodi; R. Neves, Nasser D.; Malcom, Milinkovic-Savic, Salem; M. Leonardo.
Coach: Simone Inzaghi

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