FIFA Club World Cup semi: Real Madrid vs PSG team news, start and lineup

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Who: Real Madrid vs Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)
What: Semifinal 2, FIFA Club World Cup 2025
Where: MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, United States
When: Wednesday, July 9 astatine 3pm section clip (19:00 GMT)

How to follow: We’ll person each the build-up connected Al Jazeera Sport from noon (16:00 GMT) successful beforehand of our unrecorded substance commentary stream.

The past 2 winners of the UEFA Champions League clash for the remaining spot successful the last of the FIFA Club World Cup (CWC) erstwhile Real Madrid play Paris Saint-Germain successful an epic face-off astatine the 82,500-seat MetLife Stadium, conscionable extracurricular New York.

Real are hoping to adhd a grounds sixth CWC crown to their postulation portion PSG request to triumph this trophy to implicit a uncommon quintuple of large titles successful a azygous season.

The contention has immoderate other spice thrown successful with superstar Kylian Mbappe, an ex-PSG player, lining up against his aged nine for the archetypal clip since signing with Real Madrid past year.

Here is each to cognize earlier the 2nd CWC semifinal:

How did Real Madrid scope the semifinals?

Los Blancos finished atop Group H with 2 wins and 1 draw.

Real opened their CWC run with a 1-1 gully against Al Hilal successful Miami, earlier thumping Mexican broadside Pachuca 3-1 successful a rematch of their FIFA Intercontinental last past December. The Spaniards ensured a creaseless transition into the knockout rounds with a 3-0 demolition of RB Salzburg successful the last radical fixture connected June 27.

In the circular of 16, Real played retired a pugnacious 1-0 triumph against timeless rivals Juventus astatine Hard Rock Stadium. They past prevailed successful a five-goal thriller to destruct Borussia Dortmund 3-2 successful a 2024 Champions League last rematch, capped disconnected by Mbappe’s spectacular match-winning bicycle onslaught successful the 94th minute.

Real Madrid CF guardant Kylian Mbappe (9) scores a extremity against Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel (1) successful the 2nd fractional during a quarterfinal lucifer of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup

How did PSG scope the semifinals?

PSG finished atop Group B with 2 wins and 1 loss.

They opened their Club World Cup with a ascendant 4-0 triumph against Atletico Madrid astatine the celebrated Rose Bowl successful Los Angeles.

In their 2nd radical fixture, the European champions suffered a daze 1-0 decision to Botafogo aft a first-half extremity from Igor Jesus proved to beryllium the match-winner for the Brazilian side.

PSG bounced backmost successful their last radical lucifer to decision hosts Seattle 2-0 astatine Lumen Field to comfortably suffice for the knockout stage.

In the past 16, the French broadside demolished Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami 4-0 astatine Mercedes-Benz Stadium successful Atlanta.

In the quarterfinal, they deed apical gear, crushing the situation of German champions Bayern Munich to triumph 2-0 and cruise into the past 4 of the tournament.

Mbappe vs Dembele: The conflict of the high-scoring forwards

Real Madrid person netted 11 goals successful the Club World Cup truthful far, portion PSG person 12; some teams person been boosted by the instrumentality of their injured prima strikers, with Ousmane Dembele and Mbappe scoring successful the quarterfinals.

The 2 forwards, who were teammates astatine PSG until Mbappe’s determination to Real Madrid successful June 2024 and play unneurotic for the France nationalist team, enjoyed unthinkable violative statistic successful the 2024-25 season.

Mbappe’s superb extremity against Dortmund connected Saturday was his 44th for Real Madrid successful 58 appearances this season.

Dembele, meanwhile, blossomed aft Mbappe’s departure from the Paris club, switching from the helping to the attacking talisman relation successful manager Luis Enrique’s system, scoring 34 goals successful 51 appearances crossed each competitions successful 2024-25, and carrying PSG to home and European titles.

“I’m feeling truly good. It’s the champion play of my career,” Dembele told PSG’s authoritative website. “I signed for PSG to person moments similar this. It’s been an exceptional year, for maine personally and for the squad arsenic a whole. It’s magnificent. But we privation more. Once you’ve tasted it [championships], you privation more.”

Head-to-head

The past clip these 2 sides met was successful the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 successful 2022 erstwhile Mbappe inactive played for PSG.

Real Madrid won the knockout lucifer 3-2 connected aggregate earlier going connected to assistance their 14th European rubric – but PSG were a precise antithetic squad then, and that was earlier Enrique took complaint of the French side.

How galore Club World Cup titles person Real Madrid won?

Real Madrid person won the FIFA Club World Cup a grounds 5 times. Their past triumph was successful 2023 erstwhile they bushed Saudi Pro League broadside Al Hilal 5-3.

They besides won the trophy successful 2015 and 2017, 2018 and 2019.

They besides clasp the astir tourney wins (12) and the astir full goals scored successful the contention (40).

Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid scores their sides 5th extremity during the FIFA Club World Cup Morocco 2022 Final lucifer betwixt Real Madrid and Al Hilal

What titles person PSG already won this season?

PSG achieved their champion play successful nine past successful the 2024-25 campaign, winning a cleanable four-out-of-four titles: Ligue 1, Coupe de France, Trophee des Champions and the UEFA Champions League trophy.

In doing so, PSG became the archetypal French broadside to triumph a continental treble and besides a continental quadruple.

If they triumph the FIFA Club World Cup, they tin adhd a 5th trophy to their spectacular season, completing a uncommon quintuple of titles successful 1 season.

Manchester City, successful 2023, were the past nine broadside to triumph 5 titles successful a azygous season: Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup.

Team news: Real Madrid

Gonzalo Garcia, who has led the Real Madrid onslaught successful Mbappe’s lack and scored 4 goals successful 5 appearances, volition apt manus backmost the starting occupation to the French superstar against PSG. Earlier successful the tournament, Mbappe was hospitalised with gastroenteritis but is present believed to beryllium acceptable to pb the enactment from the opening whistle.

“He is inactive not perfect, not 100 percent, but helium is getting amended each day,” Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso said of Mbappe aft their quarterfinal triumph implicit Dortmund.

Centre backmost Dean Huijsen, who picked up a precocious reddish paper against Borussia Dortmund successful the quarterfinal, volition not play owed to suspension.

Real proceed to beryllium without the injured trio of David Alaba, Eduardo Camavinga and Endrick.

Team news: PSG

Enrique volition beryllium without suspended defenders William Pacho and Lucas Hernandez aft some were sent disconnected successful PSG’s 2-0 quarterfinal triumph implicit Bayern Munich. Lucas Beraldo is expected to beryllium named Pacho’s replacement successful the starting XI.

Up front, Dembele is simply a beardown probability to marque his archetypal commencement of the tourney aft coming connected arsenic a substitute against Munich, with Bradley Barcola moving to the bench.

PSG stay comparatively injury-free with lone Nordi Mukiele unavailable.

Ousmane Dembele and Harry Kane successful action.

Possible lineups:

Real Madrid: Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Asencio, Rudiger, F Garcia; Valverde, Tchouameni, Guler, Bellingham; Mbappe, Vinicius Jr

PSG: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Beraldo, Mendes; Neves, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz; Kvaratskhelia, Dembele, Doue

What the coaches and players had to say

Xabi Alonso, Real coach: “The tactical conflict with Luis Enrique volition beryllium a large trial for us. We volition hole for the upcoming crippled [PSG] successful a affirmative tone aft today’s [quarterfinal] victory.”

Luis Enrique, PSG coach: “It doesn’t substance who we play successful the semifinals. All that matters is that we are determination and that we privation to get to the final.”

Antonio Rudiger, Real defender: “PSG are a very, precise pugnacious squad to play against,” Real defender Antonio Rudiger told FIFA. “They’ve shown they’re 1 of the champion teams successful Europe, truthful it’ll beryllium a hard match. But we’re Real Madrid and we’re acceptable for the challenge.”