By Ben Tredinnick
Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images
Real Madrid, one of the most iconic football clubs in the world, is currently competing in the Club World Cup, held in the United States. The tournament brings together a collection of some of the best teams in the world, as they battle to find out who is the best in the world.
Real is one of the major favorites to win it all, with a major reason being the presence of Kylian Mbappé, who joined Real Madrid from PSG last season.
In his debut campaign, Mbappé was sensational, scoring 43 goals and finishing as La Liga’s top scorer for the 2024–25 season.
With a proven track record on the biggest stages, including leading France to international success, Mbappé is seen as crucial to Real’s hopes in this tournament.
Real Madrid opened their Club World Cup group stage on Wednesday against Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal, a team bolstered by significant investment in their domestic league.
However, Madrid were without their star forward.
Mbappé had been hospitalized with gastroenteritis — a short-term stomach illness typically caused by food poisoning.
Without him, Real struggled to find their rhythm and were held to a surprising 1–1 draw.
The absence of their top scorer and primary playmaker was clearly felt, as many had expected a more dominant performance.
This rocky start puts pressure on Madrid to rebound in their next match on Sunday, when they face Liga MX side Pachuca.
On a positive note, Mbappé was discharged from the hospital Thursday night and has rejoined the team’s training base. However, his recovery is ongoing, and he’s expected to miss the Pachuca match — and potentially the third group stage game against Red Bull Salzburg as well.
That said, Real Madrid should still be confident.
Al Hilal are likely their toughest group-stage opponents, and victories in the remaining matches are expected. If they advance to the knockout rounds, as they should, Mbappé’s return will become more vital — that’s when the competition stiffens, and Real will look to their star man to deliver.
Ben Tredinnick is a contributor to The MMM Journal.
X: @BMTredinick and @T4Quartile
Instagram: b.m.tredinnick and t4_quartile