Real Madrid were held to a 1-1 draw by Saudi side Al Hilal in their opening Club World Cup match on Wednesday, as Manchester City and Juventus registered commanding wins in their group-stage openers across the United States.
At Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, new Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso made his dugout debut in front of a 62,000-strong crowd. Despite a promising start with 21-year-old Gonzalo Garcia netting in the 32nd minute from a Rodrygo assist, Madrid were pegged back by Ruben Neves’ penalty before halftime after Raul Asencio fouled Salem Al Dawsari in the box.
Real had a late chance to snatch victory when Mohammed Al Qahtani was penalized for a hand in Fran Garcia’s face, but Federico Valverde’s stoppage-time penalty was saved by Al Hilal keeper Yassine Bounou.
“We had better control in the second half and could have won, but we’re still building,” Alonso said post-match, having handed debuts to Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen while missing star forward Kylian Mbappé due to illness.
Elsewhere in Group H, Austria’s RB Salzburg went top after a storm-delayed 2-1 win over Mexico’s Pachuca in Cincinnati. The match was suspended early in the second half due to severe weather and resumed after a 97-minute delay.
In Philadelphia, Phil Foden starred for Manchester City in a 2-0 Group G win over Moroccan champions Wydad Casablanca. Foden opened the scoring inside two minutes before assisting Jeremy Doku’s goal from a corner. The win was slightly soured by Rico Lewis’ late red card, but Pep Guardiola praised his team’s composure in humid conditions.
“The humidity was tough, but we showed good moments,” Guardiola said. “With many new and returning players, we’ll rotate for the next game to keep improving.”
City’s next opponent will be Al Ain, who were routed 5-0 by Juventus in Washington. The Italian side dominated after meeting U.S. President Donald Trump earlier in the day at the White House. Randal Kolo Muani and Francisco Conceição each netted twice, with Kenan Yildiz adding a fifth.
“We wanted to start strong, and we did exactly that,” said Conceição. “This gives us confidence moving forward.”
The tournament continues Thursday with Inter Miami, led by Lionel Messi, facing Porto, and Paris Saint-Germain taking on Brazil’s Botafogo in high-stakes group clashes.
Written By Rodney Mbua
