Less than 24 hours after Erling Haaland's Man City were unexpectedly eliminated against Al Hilal, Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe was welcomed as a hero after returning in the second half of the match against Juventus. Real Madrid won with a score of 1-0.
As soon as Real Madrid seemed ready to enter the quarter-finals after taking the lead, Mbappe finally took part in this battle.
The chants of " Mbappe, Mbappe" were heard from Madrid supporters wearing white shirts inside hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Mbappe is the player that everyone wants to see. Therefore, his 23-minute match is good news for everyone, except for Los Blancos' opponents.
Real Madrid are very strong and have mostly no problems against a weak Juventus team, but Mbappe's return will make them more formidable.
Mbappe's presence will also be welcomed by FIFA after a series of European names were eliminated. This year's tournament was affected by harsh weather and the number of spectators coming to the stadium was disappointing in many matches. Therefore, they need the biggest stars to attract fans to the stadium.
Mbappe's absence has left the FIFA Club World Cup without a player who could be Lamine Yamal's only current opponent. Of course, Yamal is not in the US.
La Liga champions Barcelona have not qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. Therefore, although Lionel Messi enjoyed a brilliant period in Inter Miami's journey to the knockout stage, Haaland and Mbappe were the players with the most attention.
And Mbappe, due to illness, had to stand outside to observe when Messi, Haaland and others created miraculous moments that could elevate a player's position in the world arena.
The Frenchman was hospitalized for a short time last month. Therefore, he was forced to wait for the opportunity to prove himself as a key player under new coach Xabi Alonso.
Alonso reiterated before this match that Mbappe would be expected to return to his best form. It may sound simple, but other managers, including PSG's Luis Enrique, will expect Mbappe to fail.
Therefore, how Alonso will fully develop the 26-year-old's ability is something everyone is looking forward to seeing at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.
And although Gonzalo Garcia has set a victory for Real with a third goal after 4 matches in this tournament, Mbappe is still the focus of attention. Mbappe will play, but the way the French striker shows and whether he meets the requirements of Alonso or not is the problem that will become more clear in the upcoming matches.
Mbappe's coordination with Vinicius Junior after replacing Garcia was very sharp. However, a goal is something he has not had yet. Trent Alexander-Arnold's accurate pass in Garcia's header shows the type of pass Mbappe will love in the coming season.
With Alexander-Arnold on the wing, the creativity of both Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde behind, and Vinicius always ready to break away, Mbappe will have countless scoring opportunities. He can do a better job of 43 goals in 56 games in the last two seasons.
While Mbappe was on the bench, Madrid approached scoring through Bellingham, Valverde, Dean Huijsen and Arda Guler. If goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio had not had many important saves, Juventus would have lost with a heavier score.
"I'm happy for Gonzalo Garcia, for the team, we call on him to continue like this. He is having a very good performance, with goals and everything he has contributed. Gonzalo Garcia is taking advantage of the minutes he has to contribute.
As for Mbappe, I will not think about the next match right now, I focus on today. As each day passes, Mbappe will help regain the rhythm of the game. I talk to him every day to get to know how he feels. We have 3 days to see if he is ready for the quarter-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup or not" - Alonso said.
