Club World Cup updates: Alonso earns first win with Madrid

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is off and running, and has produced plenty of talking points and storylines already. Let’s catch you up on what’s happening, what you’ve missed and what’s still to come.

We will update this file throughout each matchday with the latest reporting, analysis and fun from the competition, so check back regularly for the latest news as we follow the fun leading up to the tournament final at MetLife Stadium on July 13.

The lead: Madrid bounce back with statement with over Pachuca

CHARLOTTE — The 3-1 scoreline might not suggest it, but Real Madrid suffered in Charlotte. Raúl Asencio’s early red card meant Madrid had to battle for almost 90 minutes, with 10 men, in the North Carolina heat. And their opponents, Pachuca, did their best to capitalize. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois performed his customary miracles — making 10 saves — to keep Madrid in the game at key moments. But in the end, this will have been a satisfying display for coach Xabi Alonso, who saw his team regroup, reform, and ultimately overcome adversity.

It wasn’t a promising start. Madrid signed half a new defense for this Club World Cup in Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen; on the evidence of their two games so far, they should consider investing in the other half. Against Al Hilal and now Pachuca, mistakes from center back Asencio have gotten the team into trouble. In Miami, Asencio’s careless foul gave away a penalty to make it 1-1 and in Charlotte, his desperate pull-back of Salomón Rondón got him sent off.

“Two games, and the same mistake,” Courtois said, pointedly, at half-time. “We have to be more intelligent.” In his debut news conference, Alonso talked about wanting his Madrid team to be “flexible” and “dynamic.” Here, those qualities were on show in the way the coach reshaped the side after Asencio’s dismissal, as Federico Valverde moved inside from the right to help out Arda Güler and Jude Bellingham in midfield.

Alonso has insisted that Madrid signing an extra midfielder isn’t essential, saying, “We can be dominant in midfield with what we have.” Here, Güler’s presence made the difference. He has bulked up over the last year; he no longer looks like a fragile teenager, easily brushed off the ball.

Güler says Alonso “sees me as a central midfielder” after often being stranded out wide under Carlo Ancelotti, and the early signs justify that assessment. Madrid’s two goals in the first half, from Bellingham and Güler, were well taken, and Güler’s was created by another first-half bright spot: forward Gonzalo García.

Garcia, 21, has done just about everything possible so far at this tournament to make the case for Madrid not needing to sign another No. 9. With Kylian Mbappé ill and Endrick injured, Garcia has seized his moment in both games. He was Madrid’s outstanding player in the opening 45 minutes at Bank of America Stadium before being withdrawn at half-time. His first-touch, cushioned lay-off for Güler to make it 2-0 drew appreciative gasps from journalists in the press box.

Valverde’s third goal made certain of the result in the second half, and ensured Elías Montiel’s late deflected strike for Pachuca was just a footnote. Madrid’s finishing was remarkably clinical; they had three shots on target and scored three goals. It was enough to give Alonso his first win. — Alex Kirkland

Today’s top Club World Cup news

• Pep: Some City players will be ‘sad’ if they stay
• Club World Cup: How teams can reach last 16
• Stones opens up on Man City injury nightmare

Sights and sounds around FIFA Club World Cup

Casablanca go into party mode with pyro, but under a cautious eye

PHILADELPHIA — Organizers seem to be happy looking the other way when it comes to pyrotechnics — whether smoke or flares — at the Club World Cup.

This much was obvious again at the Juventus-Wydad game. Wydad fans — many of them part of organized Ultras supporter groups who had travelled from Morocco for the tournament — marched to the game amidst a cloud of smoke bombs and then proceeded to set off a large quantity of pyrotechnics after Thembinkosi Lorch’s goal.

Signage at Lincoln Financial Field made it clear that pyro of all kinds is strictly prohibited, but the yellow and green-clad security simply watched on as the red and black smoke billowed over the Wydad end of the stadium.

It’s a bit of a conundrum. On the one hand, pyro can be dangerous, which is why it is not allowed in most grounds, anywhere in the world. On the other hand, well, it is a lot of fun to watch (from a distance) and adds a ton of color (maybe too much, because at some point you have to wait for the smoke to clear).

FIFA want the tifo and intensity Wydad fans bring, especially since supporters of European clubs like Juventus, Chelsea and Manchester City, at least at Lincoln Financial Field, bring all the passion of a church picnic, but at some point, the pyro might become a problem. — Gabriele Marcotti

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Wydad AC fans halt traffic with flares ahead of Juventus clash

The Wydad AC fans march with flares on the way to their Club World Cup game against Juventus.

Mexican sides still winless at Club World Cup

Grupo Pachuca suffered a hard setback at the Club World Cup, where they hoped to have their teams, León and Pachuca, as protagonists.

However, both failed in the tournament. The first wasn’t allowed to participate in the event, and the second was eliminated by a Real Madrid that played practically the entire match with 10 players.

Goal-scorer Montiel has been the only redeeming feature of a team that arrived with a coach hired days before the event. There’s one game left, and beyond being necessary to win for honor, the real challenge will be to avoid further ridicule for the Grupo. — Armando Neria, ESPN Mexico

More updates to come!

Star player of the day

Yildiz shines for Juve, on course to qualify to next round

PHILADELPHIA — There are tons of questions swirling around Juventus. From whether Igor Tudor is worthy of the big chair to what will happen with Dusan Vlahovic and a lot of other things in between. Kenan Yildiz is not one of them.

The 20-year-old Wunderkind — his birthday was only last month — bagged two goals on Sunday. However, it should have been a hat trick since he provoked Abdelmounaim Boutouil’s own goal for the opener, capping off a move that had 20 passes, to give Juve a 4-1 win over Wydad AC, which all but seals their place in the round of 16.

When he made it 2-0, he showed the long-range technique that have earned him comparisons with resident Juve icon Alessandro Del Piero. The cutback and poise he showed for Juve’s third smacked of a guy who reeks both quality and confidence.

He scored seven Serie A goals last season, despite the chaos of Thiago Motta’s first six months and despite playing out wide as a genuine winger, which is probably not his strongest suit. Tudor plays his wide men far narrower — Juve are more of a team who play in a 3-4-2-1 than a 3-4-3 — and this gives him room to maneuver and improvise.

A product of the Bayern Munich academy — his mother is German, his father is from Turkey, while representing the latter — Yildiz is used to the spotlight.

His size and athleticism aren’t common among players with his technical skill set. And the fact that he has continued to develop in his three years at Juve — despite the challenges enveloping the club — speaks to his character.

Italian clubs — and especially Juve — have been traditionally cautious when it comes to young players and building around them. The fear is that too much pressure too soon can hurt a player’s growth and performance. By the way, that is what made Del Piero such an outlier all those years ago: he was the exception that confirmed the rule.

But Yildiz seems cut from a different cloth. And looking at what’s around him — Randal Kolo Muani on loan, Vlahovic a year out from free agency, Teun Koopmeiners disappointing in his first season, Francisco Conceição inconsistent, Nicolás González often injured — there’s a strong case to make that, on the attacking end, Yildiz ought to be the guy you build around. — Marcotti

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How Juventus could qualify for the last 16

After Juventus’s convincing win over Wydad AC, they could book their place in the last 16 of the Club World Cup.

Match previews, odds for Monday

Atlético Madrid vs. Botafogo (Group B; Pasadena, CA, 3 p.m ET)

Odds (via ESPN BET): Atlético Madrid (-135), Draw (+260), Botafogo (+380)

Atlético Madrid are in trouble. Their opening 4-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain, coupled with Botafogo’s impressive two wins out of two, have left Atlético in a tricky position in Group B. Presuming — as seems likely — that PSG beat Seattle in the day’s other game, it wouldn’t be enough for Atlético just to defeat Botafogo at the Rose Bowl: they must do so by at least three goals. With that combination of results, PSG, Botafogo and Atlético would all be tied on six points, with PSG and Atlético squeezing through on goal difference.

“We know we have to win, and score goals,” forward Julián Álvarez said on Sunday. “It depends on us, we don’t have to wait for any other result. We need to be clinical and efficient. It’s not about playing the perfect game — it’s about not conceding, and scoring.” It’s easier said than done.

Botafogo defended superbly well in their 1-0 win over PSG, nullifying one of Europe’s most talented attacking teams. PSG dominated possession (74.3%) and had 16 shots that day, but created not a single “big chance”, with an xG of 1.01. If Atlético want to stay in this competition, they’ll have to succeed where the Champions League winners failed. — Kirkland

Seattle Sounders vs. Paris Saint-Germain (Group B; Seattle, WA, 3 p.m. ET)

Odds: Seattle Sounders (+1000), Draw (+600), PSG (-600)

More updates to come!

Porto vs. Al Ahly (Group A; East Rutherford, NJ, 9 p.m. ET)

Odds: Porto (-130), Draw (+290), Al Ahly (+333)

More updates to come!

Inter Miami vs. Palmeiras (Group A; Miami, Fla., 9 p.m. ET)

Odds: Inter Miami (+425), Draw (+140), Palmeiras (+125)

Inter Miami will face Palmeiras in their final group stage match of the Club World Cup. After beating FC Porto 2-1 with a stunning free kick from Lionel Messi, Miami enters the game with favorable chances to qualify for the knockout stage of the competition.

Defeating Palmeiras by any margin would guarantee the club a first-place finish with seven points and the chance to face the side that finishes second in Group B in Philadelphia on June 28, while a draw allows Miami to clinch second place in the group and still qualify for the round of 16.

If Miami falls to Palmeiras, a few scenarios could still see Javier Mascherano’s side play in the next phase of the Club World Cup. A loss to the Brazilian giants, coupled with an Al Ahly loss to Porto, sees Miami emerge from the group in second place. A loss to Palmeiras and an Al Ahly defeat over Porto would force a draw in the group and automatically trigger the tournament’s tiebreaker criteria.

It’ll be a contested match between the two sides, with Miami labeling their opponent one of the most difficult so far. Palmeiras confronts Miami after a goalless draw against Porto and defeating Al Ahly 2-0 to lead the group with four points and a positive goal difference. — Lizzy Becherano