Real Madrid have received a little boost ahead of the Club World Cup final — should they get there. FIFA confirmed on Tuesday that center-back Dean Huijsen will be eligible to play in Sunday’s final if Los Blancos defeat Paris Saint-Germain in Wednesday’s semifinal.
The young Spaniard was sent off late in Real Madrid’s 3-2 quarterfinal victory over Borussia Dortmund — his first red card at senior level. Just moments after Kylian Mbappé scored a stunning overhead kick to put Xabi Alonso’s side up by two goals, Huijsen was caught by a surging Serhou Guirassy. Unable to stop the forward cleanly, Huijsen grabbed at his shirt, dragging him down inside the box.
The referee showed no hesitation, awarding a penalty and issuing a straight red for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity — a decision later backed in the official match report.
FIFA has since clarified that Huijsen’s offense falls under the category of “denying a goal or an obvious scoring opportunity,” which carries only a one-match suspension. That means he’ll miss the high-stakes semifinal against PSG but will be available for the final should Real Madrid progress.
PSG, meanwhile, face a more complicated defensive situation. The French champions finished their win over Bayern Munich with just nine men after two dismissals in the final 10 minutes.
Willian Pacho was the first to go, sent off in the 82nd minute for a reckless challenge. Minutes later, Lucas Hernández was dismissed for catching Raphaël Guerreiro in the jaw with an elbow.
FIFA ruled both offenses as “serious foul play” — a classification for challenges involving excessive force or actions that endanger an opponent’s safety. As a result, both Pacho and Hernández have been handed two-match bans.
The suspensions leave PSG head coach Luis Enrique without a crucial part of his defensive core: Pacho, a regular starter at center-back, and Hernández, who often deputizes at left back. Their absence will be felt not only in the semifinal against Real Madrid but also in a potential final clash with Chelsea or Fluminense on Sunday.
Real Madrid and PSG face off on Wednesday with a place in the Club World Cup final on the line — and with defensive depth, or lack thereof, likely to play a key role. Managing Madrid will be on the ground to cover it all.