Real Madrid vs Pachuca: FIFA Club World Cup – start, team news, lineups

Who: Pachuca vs. Real Madrid
What: FIFA Club World Cup 2025
Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
When: Sunday, June 22,15:00 EDT | 12:00 PST | 19:00 GMT | 21:00 CEST

How to follow our coverage on Al Jazeera Sport starting at 12 p.m. local time (16:00 GMT).

Real Madrid and Pachuca, two giants in Spain, square off in a match that is a repeat of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final from December.

In a group led by Red Bull Salzburg, both teams need a victory.

A potential loser will be put under more pressure, according to Al Jazeera’s analysis of the match.

In the initial matches, how did Real Madrid and Pachuca fare?

Federico Valverde’s late penalty saw Los Blancos draw 1-1 against Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal, who had the opportunity to give them all three points.

Before halftime, Ruben Neves scored from the spot for the Saudi Pro League side before Real took the lead thanks to Gonzalo Garcia, who was stepping in for Kylian Mbappe, who had been battling with a fever.

Xabi Alonso took over Real for the first time since Carlo Ancelotti’s replacement.

Xabi Alonso, the coach of Real Madrid, training before the Pachuca clash [Hannah Mckay/Reuters]

In their opening Group H game, Pachuca were defeated by Austria’s Red Bull Salzburg, who won 2-1.

Just before the break, Oscar Gloukh gave Salzburg the lead. With 14 minutes left, Karim Onisiwo put the finishing touches on the points with a 56-minute equalizer from Bryan Gonzalez.

What has Kylian Mbappe recently been?

Following a severe case of gastroenteritis, Mbappe was taken out of the hospital on Thursday.

When will he be able to compete in the Club World Cup?

The French forward hasn’t been able to train since last Sunday and is still in “rough shape” according to his coach Xabi Alonso.

The symptoms of gastroenteritis include diarrhoea and vomiting, as well as the stomach flu.

What transpired between Real Madrid and Pachuca last time?

Real’s victory in the UEFA Champions League guaranteed them a spot in the December Intercontinental Cup final.

In order to set up the meeting with Madrid in Qatar, Pachuca had to be North American champions in order to advance to the final, defeating Egypt’s Al Ahly.

Real won the first Intercontinental Cup with a 3-0 victory, and Kylian Mbappe, Rodrygo, and Vinicius Junior were all on target.

The tournament will be played out exclusively by the continental champions from around the world each year, replacing the previous format of the FIFA Club World Cup.

Soccer Football - Intercontinental Cup - Final - Real Madrid v Pachuca - Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar - December 18, 2024 Real Madrid's Luka Modric lifts the trophy as he celebrates with teammates after winning the Intercontinental Cup REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa — Luka Modric, who won the Intercontinental Cup in 2024, lifts the trophy as he celebrates with his teammates.

Real Madrid’s process for winning the Club World Cup:

Real’s place in the UEFA Champions League final against Liverpool in 2022 confirmed their place there.

Their subsequent victory at Borussia Dortmund in the Intercontinental Cup of last year confirmed their encounter with Pachuca.

How did Pachuca become a Club World Cup member?

In the Concacaf Champions Cup, North America’s continental club competition, the Mexican side defeated the Columbus Crew 3-0 to win the match.

Salomon Rondon, a former English Premier League player, scored twice with Miguel Rodriguez also scoring for Pachuca to win a sixth continental title.

Cruz Azul improved to a win over the Vancouver Whitecaps in the CONCACAF Champions Cup final last year, increasing their chances of winning the next FIFA Club World Cup.

Real Madrid has won how many Club World Cups?

Real Madrid won the 2023 World Cup for the fifth time in its various previous competitions, beating Al Hilal.

Despite the fact that the competition resumed with the format of the Club World Cup, the first FIFA Intercontinental Cup was not won after their victory over Pachuca.

Real Madrid's Antonio Rudiger during training at the FIFA Club World Cup — Antonio Rudiger recovers from injury and trains with Real Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger.

Real Madrid team news

Real are likely to stick with Garcia in the attack because of Mbappe’s absence.

Endrick, a hamstring injury that would typically characterize Mbappe’s understudy, has been forced to miss the tournament. Additionally, the tournament’s absence from Frances Mendy is an injury.

Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba, Eder Militao, and Eduardo Camavinga may return to action after their own injury layoff, but Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, and Eder Militao are likely to miss out on the game.