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

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Who: Real Madrid vs Al Hilal
What: FIFA Club World Cup
Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, Florida, United States
When: Wednesday, June 18 – 15:00 EDT section clip | 12:00 PST | 19:00 GMT | 21:00 CEST

Real Madrid statesman their FIFA Club World Cup campaign against Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal – a squad that person aspirations to basal alongside the European giants connected the planetary stage.

For now, the Saudi Pro League club, aft finishing 2nd down Al Ittihad this season, stay the up-and-comers.

That said, this tourney offers a accidental not lone for Al Hilal but for the state they correspond to laic down a marker successful their effort to go 1 of the world’s astir influential home leagues.

Al Jazeera takes a look astatine the gathering betwixt 2 heavyweights successful their respective rights.

What happened the past clip Real Madrid and Al Hilal met?

This is lone the 2nd gathering betwixt the clubs, but the archetypal was an arsenic eye-catching affair.

It was the last of the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup – past successful its smaller format anterior to a rebrand.

Real won 5-3 successful a thriller successful Rabat, Morocco, arsenic Vinicius Junior scored twice, portion mounting up different for Karim Benzema.

Al Hilal had beaten Brazilians Flamengo successful the semifinals to go the archetypal Saudi broadside to scope the showpiece finale.

Real bushed Egypt’s Al Ahly 4-1 successful their last-four match.

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

Is this Xabi Alonso’s debut arsenic Real Madrid manager?

Yes. Alonso took implicit from Carlo Ancelotti, who was quickly appointed arsenic manager of Brazil, astatine the extremity of past season.

The erstwhile Real midfielder had been successful complaint of Bayer Leverkusen, who helium led to the German league rubric successful his archetypal season.

Leverkusen were a distant 2nd to Bayern Munich, by 13 points, this year. But Alonso’s nexus to Real had agelong been established, particularly with his affirmative marque of shot – each portion the unit was mounting connected Ancelotti arsenic Real’s league and European defence disintegrated.

New Real Madrid subordinate Trent Alexander-Arnold during the property league to denote his accomplishment [Ana Beltran/Reuters]

Will Alexander-Arnold commencement for Real Madrid?

Trent Alexander-Arnold is expected to marque his debut for Real against Al Hilal.

The England defender was capable to implicit his determination from Liverpool successful clip for the contention acknowledgment to a peculiar transportation model for clubs progressive successful the tournament.

Dani Carvajal, who usually fills the right-back spot that Alexander-Arnold could hold, has returned to grooming pursuing an ACL injury, but this crippled comes excessively soon for a afloat comeback.

Why are Barcelona not astatine the Club World Cup with Real?

Despite Madrid’s hard home season, albeit lone finishing 4 points disconnected apical spot, they qualified for the tourney connected the backmost of their Champions League and La Liga double-winning play 2 years ago.

Barcelona’s league rubric this season ended a tally of 3 titles successful 5 years for Real, wherever Barcelona lone won one. Atletico Madrid, the different Spanish broadside astatine the Club World Cup, besides lifted the La Liga trophy successful that clip and person a amended UEFA coefficient ranking than Barca successful the four-year qualification period.

Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham, Luka Modric, Vinicius Junior and Eder Militao during grooming up of the FIFA Club World Cup lucifer with Al Hilal

How galore Club World Cups person Real Madrid won?

Real Madrid’s triumph against Al Hilal successful 2023 was their 5th Club World Cup successful its assorted erstwhile guises.

That doesn’t see lifting the inaugural FIFA Intercontinental Cup successful December erstwhile Los Blancos beat Mexico’s Pachuca 3-0 successful the final.

That contention successful effect replaced the aged Club World Cup, but the rebrand has separated the titles.

How did Al Hilal scope the Club World Cup?

The Saudi squad person been among the apical achievers successful their home league, contempt their second-place decorativeness this season. But it was their 2021 AFC Champions League triumph that ensured their Club World Cup place.

Pohang Steelers of South Korea were Al Hilal’s opponents successful that final, which the second won 2-0.

Real Madrid squad news

Along with Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen could besides marque his debut successful the centre of defence pursuing his determination from Bournemouth.

Brazilian guardant Endrick is the lone injured absentee, portion Antonio Rudiger, Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy and David Alaba person each returned from wounded but are improbable to beryllium deemed acceptable to start.

Al Hilal squad news

Joao Cancelo is the lone wounded for Al Hilal.

The erstwhile Manchester City, Barcelona and Juventus defender is inactive recovering from a hamstring injury.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Joao Neves volition bring a value of acquisition to cardinal midfield, portion erstwhile Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic volition beryllium a fierce people antheral for Real’s defence to contend with.