FIFA Club World Cup

Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid Debut at Club World Cup Didn't Go As Expected

Updated Jun. 18, 2025 8:50 p.m. ET

Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid tenure got off to a disappointing start as his club was held to a 1-1 draw by Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal in the Club World Cup on Wednesday.

In his first game as coach of 15-time European champion, Alonso was denied victory when Federico Valverde's stoppage-time penalty was saved by Al Hilal goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.

Defeat would have been hard on Al Hilal under new coach Simone Inzaghi. Saudi Arabia's most successful team had its own chances to win at Hard Rock Stadium before a VAR call saw Madrid awarded the late spot kick.

Gonzalo Garcia scored for Madrid in the 34th minute, but Al Hilal equalized from the penalty spot seven minutes later when Ruben Neves stepped up and sent keeper Thibaut Courtois the wrong way.

Madrid was handed a chance at victory when VAR spotted a foul by Mohammed Alqahtani on Fran Garcia in the box.

Trent Alexander-Arnold's first match with Real Madrid since his move from Liverpool ended with a draw. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Valverde stepped up to take the penalty two minutes into added time, but his low effort into the bottom corner was saved by Bounou, sparking wild celebrations from his teammates.

While it was an underwhelming start for Alonso, Inzaghi's Al Hilal made an early statement of its potential by holding its own against the Spanish power.

"We know that things take time. We know that some things need to change. I saw a good reaction in the second half. We need good results here because it is a tough competition, but everything takes time," Alonso said.

It might have been even better. Leonardo had three chances in front of goal and failed to hit the target. Had star striker Aleksandar Mitrovic been fit and available, Al Hilal could have been celebrating a win.

"We put in a good performance against Real Madrid, which is one of the strongest teams in the world. Arabic football is getting better and better year in, year out. The infrastructure they are building, the organization they’ve got, I’ve really found a great club and they are giving me everything I asked of them," Inzaghi said.

One player missing for Real Madrid was Kylian Mbappé, who was suffering an illness. Alonso told DAZN before the match that Mbappé had a "fever, he was not feeling well. Hopefully back for the next one."

Reporting by The Associated Press.

Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!