Miami's Hard Rock Stadium was absolutely electric last night (July 1st)! Real Madrid grinded out a hard-fought 1-0 win over Juventus in the FIFA Club World Cup last 16, thanks to a monster header from 21-year-old Gonzalo García. New signing Trent Alexander-Arnold whipped in a pinpoint cross for his first Madrid assist, setting up the decisive moment. And the main event? Kylian Mbappé finally made his long-awaited debut in the famous white shirt, coming off the bench in the 70th minute.
The deadlock shattered in the 63rd minute. Alexander-Arnold curled in a beauty of a cross from the right flank. Gonzalo García exploded into the air like a rocket, meeting it perfectly to thump a header past Wojciech Szczesny. That goal sealed the deal for Los Blancos. Get this: The kid has scored or assisted in every single match he's played this tournament (3 goals, 1 assist in 4 games) – the only player with that record. "New Raúl" chants are already echoing.
Post-match, the youngster was buzzing: "Headers? That's my bread and butter! Being mentioned with a legend like Raúl... it's unreal." His timing is impeccable. With Militão and Carvajal sidelined, García's firepower up front is carrying this Madrid side through.
Xabi Alonso’s impact is clear. After a shaky opening draw against Al-Hilal, Alonso switched to a 3-5-2. It clicked instantly! Vinícius Jr. became a nightmare down the left, Jude Bellingham’s late runs caused chaos, and Federico Valverde started finding the net. Madrid smashed in 6 goals in their next two group games, with García leading the line brilliantly. The whole machine looked smoother.
Against Juve, control was key. Though Mbappé only got 20 minutes, Vini and Bellingham terrorized the Bianconeri backline. Thibaut Courtois was a wall – another clean sheet secured! Antonio Rüdiger rushed back from injury to partner Aurélien Tchouaméni in a makeshift center-back duo, somehow shackling Federico Chiesa and Kenan Yildiz.
Juventus owner John Elkann dangled a €1 million team bonus (roughly €30k per player) to beat Madrid. But cold, hard quality won out. Remember that group stage battering by Man City (2-5, with just 24% possession)? This felt similar.
New boss Igor Tudor tried a 3-4-2-1 for counters. Key men flopped: Randal Kolo Muani fluffed a golden one-on-one chance, Dusan Vlahovic warmed the bench too long. Only Turkish youngster Kenan Yildíz (3 group stage goals) offered real spark. Juve's exit means Serie A is COMPLETELY out of the World Cup – the only top-five league without a quarter-finalist. Ouch.
With Madrid through, 7 of the 8 quarter-final spots are filled:
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Top Half: Chelsea vs Palmeiras; Al-Hilal vs Fluminense
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Bottom Half: PSG vs Bayern; Real Madrid vs Dortmund/Monterrey winner
HUGE news dropped too: The 2025-26 La Liga schedule is OUT! Season kicks off August 17th. Real Madrid host Osasuna, Barcelona travel to Mallorca. Mark this date: El Clásico lands October 26th! The countdown to Mbappé's first Bernabéu Clásico is officially ON.
Madrid face Dortmund or Monterrey on July 5th, eyeing a potential semi-final against Bayern or PSG – proper tests. García's red-hot form gives Mbappé a perfect partner up top, and Alonso's new-look system is taking shape. That October 26th Clásico date just sent hype levels into orbit – imagine Mbappé stepping onto the Camp Nou turf. A new era is about to begin!
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