Real Madrid kick off their 2025 FIFA Club World Cup campaign against Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal on Wednesday at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The Group H encounter marks a fresh chapter for both clubs, with new managers on either side of the technical area.
Xabi Alonso will oversee his first official match in charge of Madrid after succeeding Carlo Ancelotti. Meanwhile, Simone Inzaghi begins his tenure with Al-Hilal, having joined the club following his spell at Inter Milan.
These two teams have met before, famously playing out a thrilling 5-3 final in the 2023 edition of the tournament. Real Madrid emerged victorious that day, in what became the joint-highest scoring final under the old format.
For this new-look Madrid side, expectations are high. They arrive as UEFA Champions League winners for both the 2021-22 and 2023-24 seasons. Key summer arrivals include Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool and Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth, both of whom could feature immediately. Madrid paid a reported €10 million to bring Alexander-Arnold in a month early, with hopes of making an instant impact.
Star forwards Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior are expected to light up the stage. Mbappé leads all players across Europe’s top five leagues with 43 goals in 56 appearances this season. Vinícius has once again hit double digits in both goals and assists, marking the third season he’s managed over 20 goals and 15 assists across all competitions.
Al-Hilal, on the other hand, come into the tournament looking to rebuild momentum. They missed out on the Saudi Pro League title to Al-Ittihad and were knocked out in the Asian Champions League semi-finals by Al-Ahli. That disappointment led to the sacking of Jorge Jesus and the arrival of Inzaghi.
Despite their recent struggles, Al-Hilal boast a strong squad with attacking threats like Malcom and Salem Al Dawsari. Both players finished among the top creators in the Saudi league last season, with Al Dawsari leading in overall assists.
According to Opta’s supercomputer, Real Madrid are firm favorites, winning 68.9 percent of simulations. Al-Hilal came out on top in just 13.5 percent, while 17.6 percent ended in draws.
This match offers more than just a group stage clash — it’s a statement of intent for two sides aiming to prove themselves under new leadership.
Real Madrid squad: Thibaut Courtois, Andriy Lunin, Fran González, Sergio Mestre, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dani Carvajal, Éder Militão, David Alaba, Lucas Vázquez, Fran García, Antonio Rüdiger, Ferland Mendy, Dean Huijsen, Jude Bellingham, Luka Modrić, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde, Arda Güler, Dani Ceballos, Vinícius Júnior, Kylian Mbappé, Rodrygo, Endrick, Brahim Díaz
Head coach: Xabi Alonso
Al-Hilal squad: Yassine Bounou, Kalidou Koulibaly, João Cancelo, Renan Lodi, Ali Al Bulayhi, Rúben Neves, Sergej Milinković-Savić, Mohamed Kanno, Salem Al Dawsari, Malcom, Aleksandar Mitrović, Marcos Leonardo, and others
Head coach: Simone Inzaghi
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