Mbappé Makes His Club World Cup Debut in Real Madrid’s Win Over Juventus
— Mbappé returned from illness to a roaring ovation as Real Madrid edged Juventus 1-0 in Miami.
After recovering from a bout of gastrointestinal illness, Kylian Mbappé finally stepped onto the pitch in the Club World Cup. The match, played in Miami Gardens, saw Real Madrid secure a narrow 1‑0 win over Juventus to advance to the quarter-finals.
With Mbappé sidelined for the group stage and treated in hospital, academy graduate Gonzalo García rose to the occasion. He scored the decisive goal with a powerful header, earning his third tournament goal before being substituted later in the match.
Mbappé entered the game in the 68th minute to a roaring ovation. Although he didn’t score, he linked well with Vinícius Júnior, showing promising sharpness as he reacclimatizes to competitive action.
Coach Xabi Alonso confirmed Mbappé is steadily improving: “I think every single day he is getting better,” and hinted that he may feature more prominently in the coming quarter-final, set for July 4 (Saturday) against Borussia Dortmund or Monterrey at MetLife Stadium.
