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Will Mbappe play in the FIFA Club World Cup?

Will Mbappe play in the FIFA Club World Cup?

One of the tournament’s biggest stars, Kylian Mbappe, has yet to take to the field while the FIFA Club World Cup is in its second week.

The Real Madrid forward was initially denied entry after he initially missed his team’s opening game against Al Hilal on Wednesday, but Xabi Alonso’s confirmation that Mbappe would also miss their second game against Pachuca on Sunday made his exclusion even more significant.

What is known about the Mbappe situation, please:

Before the Club World Cup, why did Mbappe visit the hospital?

After experiencing a high fever and gastroenteritis, Mbappe was treated in Florida, United States.

Real Madrid announced in a statement on Thursday that Kylian Mbappe is receiving treatment for an acute case of gastroenteritis in a hospital.

Mbappe was not given a date for his admission, but a subsequent club update, released seven hours later, confirmed that he had been treated and had returned to Real Madrid’s training facility.

According to the club, “Mbappe will continue receiving specialized medical care and gradually resume his team activity.”

How did Mbappe get gastroenteritis, and what is it?

A common illness that results in diarrhea, fever, and vomiting is gastroenteritis, also known as the stomach flu or stomach bug.

The National Health Service (NHS) of the United Kingdom states that “gastritis is typically brought on by a bacterial or viral tummy bug and affects people of all ages.”

The NHS says “cases in adults are typically caused by norovirus or bacterial food poisoning,” though it has not been revealed how the Real Madrid star contracted the illness.

At the Club World Cup, how many games will Mbappe miss?

Real’s manager, Xabi Alonso, has ruled the France captain out of one game and has so far missed one.

In his pre-game press conference on Saturday, Alonso declared, “He]Mbappe is better.

He returned from the hospital two days later. He is improving steadily.

Mbappe, second left, was ruled out of Real Madrid’s opening game at Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, following his absence from the Gardens North Country District Park training facility.

Who will play in the Real Madrid Club World Cup games in place of Mbappe?

In the opening game of Real Madrid, which ended in a 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal, Mbappe was replaced by Gonzalo Garcia, who played for Real Madrid’s second team.

Real’s 21-year-old opened the scoring, giving Alonso another chance to give him.

The Spanish manager said, “Gonzalo can do what he did the other day]against Al Hilal.”

He had three chances and scored one. We’ll see what happens as we move forward. It’s crucial to have players who can sense smell. He did very well.

Mbappe will participate in the Club World Cup.

Mbappe might be selected for Real’s final group game against FC Salzburg on Thursday, according to Alonso.

“We’re getting more and more confident about him for the upcoming game.”

The NHS claims that gastroenteritis usually resolves itself within a week. The 26-year-old may be discharged from the hospital by Wednesday, but it’s still to be seen if he will be fit for the game, especially since it’s a late afternoon kickoff in the middle of the afternoon.

Given the gap between the final group-stage match and the opening knockout game, Mbappe’s chances of playing out a full game will increase if Real is selected for the round of 16.

Soccer Football - LaLiga - Real Madrid v RCD Mallorca - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - May 14, 2025 Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe during the warm up before the match REUTERS/Susana Vera
Mbappe during a warm-up session [File: Susana Vera/Reuters]

What is Real Madrid’s World Cup training schedule?

The Spanish giants will wrap up Group H play on Thursday at 19:00 GMT against RB Salzburg at the Philadelphia Lincoln Field following Sunday’s game against Pachuca.

At 19:00 GMT, Real will play their first knockout game against Group H’s runners-up on July 1 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

Real will play Group G winners at 9 p.m. on June 30 at 9 p.m. (01:00 GMT, July 1) at the Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

Mbappe hasn’t won a club World Cup.

No. Only one European team, the winners of the UEFA Champions League, has ever played in the Club World Cup under its previous rules, making Mbappe the first to do so.

Mbappe was still working in the French Ligue 1 at the time, and his former clubs PSG and Monaco did not take part in the competition despite Real Madrid’s record five victories.

Without Mbappe, can Real Madrid win the Club World Cup?

Los Blancos have won the most European and Club World Cup titles in the history of club competitions, a flawless record. In the last ten years, they have won the continent’s top club competition five times.

Mbappe joined Real at the start of the 2024-25 season, but he did not participate in any of their previous victories in La Liga, Champions League, and Club World Cup.

Without its star Frenchman, it is fair to say the club has performed fairly well without him, but it would be nice to have him back for the duration of the Club World Cup.

Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Group H - Real Madrid v Al Hilal - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, U.S. - June 18, 2025 Fans wearing replica shirts of Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo before the match REUTERS/Marco Bello
Mbappe is a favorite of the many Real Madrid players that fans adore.

Source: Aljazeera

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