Key Takeaways
- Real Madrid moved one step closer to the FIFA Club World Cup title on Saturday, beating Borussia Dortmund.
- Los Blancos stars Fran Garcia and Gonzalo Garcia shone in the impressive victory.
- RG had the chance to talk with both players after the club booked a semifinal date with PSG.
Gonzalo Garcia #30 of Real Madrid scores his team's first goal (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
East Rutherford - You’d be hard-pressed to find a more decorated soccer club than Real Madrid. Los Blancos have won a record 36 LaLiga titles, a record six UEFA SuperCups, and a record 15 UEFA Champions League titles – eight more than second-placed Milan.
They’ve also won a record five FIFA Club World Cup titles, and they have a golden opportunity to add a sixth this week. Whereas those five titles came in the previous format, when 6-7 teams would dispute an international competition during the middle of the campaign, this has since been rebranded as the FIFA Intercontinental Cup. The new format, meanwhile, has been expanded for 32 teams to battle for global supremacy.
After a disappointing campaign that saw them fail to claim any major trophies, Real Madrid have made a busy start to the summer transfer window in order to prepare for the one-of-a-kind tournament in the United States.
The Spanish behemoths paid €62.5 million for Bournemouth center back Dean Huijsen, whilst signing River Plate teenage prodigy Franco Mastantuono – who will join the club after the tournament – for €45 million. And whereas they had previously agreed to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold on a free transfer from Liverpool, they ended up deciding to pay €10 million so that he could be there for the start of the tournament. Moreover, they parted ways with Carlo Ancelotti as he left for the Brazil job while appointing ex-Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso as their next manager.
Despite missing top scorer Kylian Mbappé due to gastroenteritis, as well as a bevy of other injured stars like Dani Carvajal and Eduardo Camavinga, Los Blancos have enjoyed a fine tournament in the USA, drawing 1-1 to Saudi side Al-Hilal in Miami before brushing past Mexican outfit Pachuca 3-1 in a rematch of last year’s FIFA Intercontinental Cup Final. They then made the trip up from Charlotte and faced off against Austrian powerhouse Red Bull Salzburg, prevailing 3-0 to secure top spot in Group H. They returned to Miami for their Round of 16 match, where a second-half goal from Gonzalo García saw them prevail with a 1-0 victory.
At 21 years of age, García has emerged as one of the breakout stars of the Club World Cup. Despite impressing for Real’s youth setup, he had found himself surplus to requirements under Ancelotti, registering just one goal and an assist in six appearances across the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons.
With Mbappé and €60m signing Endrick ahead in the pecking order, it seemed that García would need to depart the Spanish capital in order to secure regular minutes at the senior level. Instead, he has utilized the Club World Cup as a launching pad to success, bagging a goal vs. Al-Hilal, an assist vs. Pachuca, and a goal apiece vs. Salzburg and Juventus.
“In the end, I don’t feel much pressure,” said García to RG. “I’ve been working a lot and waiting for this opportunity…the players, the manager and the rest of his coaching staff are giving me a lot of confidence for me to be calm and face the challenge in the best possible manner.”
The Spanish striker continued his meteoric rise on Saturday at MetLife Stadium in a rematch of last year’s Champions League Final, with Arda Güler conjuring up a perfectly telegraphed cross for García to volley past Gregor Kobel in the 10th minute. Real continued to dominate German side Borussia Dortmund, pinning them deep into their own half and dictating proceedings on their own terms. It wasn’t long before they doubled their advantage when, after a quick passing exchange, Alexander-Arnold fired a cross into the box where Fran García was there to convert.
It looked set to be a routine victory for Real Madrid – until it wasn’t. With just three minutes remaining in extra time, BVB finally found their goal as Maximilian Beier pounced on a haphazard clearance from Antonio Rüdiger and struck an instinctive finish into the bottom-left corner. However, Real would respond instantaneously as Güler weighed up a tempting cross for substitute Mbapppé, who, despite leaning back and falling to the ground, produced a sensational scissors kick and restored their two-goal advantage.
Garcia Duo Shine For Madrid
BVB, for their part, did not go down quietly, with Carney Chukwumeka racing forward from the kick-off and filtering in a pass towards Serhou Guirassy into the edge of the box, where Huijsen wrestled him to the ground and received a red card for his troubles. Guirassy would convert the following penalty, giving Dortmund a slim chance of life. The German side would very nearly find an equalizer at the final second as Marcel Sabitzer struck a thunderbolt towards the bottom left corner, only to be thwarted by the outstretched palm of Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Despite vital contributions from Gonzalo García, Thibaut Courtois, Kylian Mbappé, and Arda Güler, it was Fran García who was given the Michelob Ultra Superior Player of the Match. A product of Real Madrid’s academy, García spent three years cutting his teeth at Rayo Vallecano before returning to Real in 2023, where he struggled to provide a genuine challenge to Ferland Mendy at the left-back position.
It seemed that Real would be in the market for a new left-sided defender, but with a deal for Benfica’s Alvaro Carreras failing to materialize, and with Mendy sidelined with a muscular problem, they entered the Club World Cup with just one natural left back.
The 26-year-old Spanish fullback has risen to the occasion, however, and demonstrated the best form of his Real Madrid career. And on Saturday, he delivered a sensational display, winning four out of seven ground duels, completing two out of four crosses, and registering two tackles. He also made one clearance and one interception, blocked one shot, and completed 40 out of 47 passes, as well as creating one key pass and completing one out of two successful dribbles.
“I think that Alonso has given me and the team the confidence to try and compete so that we can help the team as much as possible,” stated García to RG. “As a player, you have to be grateful for that feeling because when you have that continuation and confidence, it helps you a lot to perform on the pitch.”
Real Madrid’s two Garcías have played a fundamental role in their FIFA Club World Cup campaign, and on Wednesday, they have their toughest challenge yet: facing Paris Saint-Germain in MetLife Stadium in a battle of the last two Champions League winners. Can Real Madrid book their spot in the final and set up a date with either Chelsea or Fluminense? Or will PSG have the last laugh? Stay tuned for what promises to be a thrilling encounter in New Jersey.
