Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid (R) during training prior to the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final between Real Madrid and C.F. Pachuca at Stadium Lusail Stadium in Doha, Qatar, December 17, 2024./CFP
Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid (R) during training prior to the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final between Real Madrid and C.F. Pachuca at Stadium Lusail Stadium in Doha, Qatar, December 17, 2024./CFP
Real Madrid will face Mexican club Pachuca in the final of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup Wednesday. The tournament, played in a new format after FIFA expanded the Club World Cup for 2025, features the champions from all six federations. As European champions, Real Madrid went straight to the final, while Pachuca reached this stage by defeating Al-Ahly 6-5 on penalties after a goalless draw.
Since suffering a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League, Real Madrid have won three and drawn one in their last five matches across all competitions. The Spanish champions currently sit third in La Liga, with 37 points from 17 matches-one fewer than leaders Barcelona, who have played one game more. Kylian Mbappe has resumed training with the squad after missing a La Liga match against Rayo Vallecano on Saturday. The French star was substituted after scoring in Real's 3-2 win at Atalanta in the Champions League last week due to injury. However, coach Carlo Ancelotti remains optimistic about Mbappe's chances of being available for today's match against Pachuca. "Kylian Mbappe's situation is simple: he trained yesterday and felt good. He did sprints, and everything went well. Today's training session will be important for evaluating his condition. If he feels fine after speaking with him and the doctors, he'll obviously play. But if there's even the slightest risk, he won't. So, today's training session is crucial. Yesterday was very good, so we are optimistic."