Real Madrid kicked off their Club World Cup campaign with a stuttering 1-1 draw against a determined Al Hilal side on Wednesday evening, as new manager Xabi Alonso’s first game in charge offered glimpses of promise but ultimately ended in frustration under the sweltering Miami heat at a nearly packed Hard Rock Stadium.
Madrid’s hopes of snatching a late win were dashed when Federico Valverde’s stoppage-time penalty was brilliantly saved by Al Hilal goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
The miss symbolised a sluggish performance from the Spanish giants, whose energy and ideas appeared to drain under the intense Florida sun.
With star forward Kylian Mbappé sidelined due to illness, it was 21-year-old Gonzalo García who stepped up to lead the attack and he made an early impression by finishing coolly to give Madrid the lead.
But Al Hilal responded through a Rúben Neves penalty just before halftime, capitalizing on a foul by Raul Asencio on Marcos Leonardo.
The equaliser was well-earned as Simone Inzaghi’s men showcased not only strong defensive organization but also enough attacking quality to cause Madrid consistent problems.
Madrid had the opportunity to steal all three points late on after VAR intervened, spotting a foul by Mohammed Alqahtani on Fran Garcia inside the penalty area.
The referee confirmed the decision after reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor.
Valverde stepped up “two minutes into added time,” but his low shot toward the corner was met by a diving Bounou, sparking jubilant celebrations from his Al Hilal teammates.
While Madrid now prepare to face Pachuca of Mexico on Sunday, Al Hilal will meet Austria’s RB Salzburg, both matches potentially decisive in Group H qualification.
García’s mature display was a silver lining for Madrid in Mbappé’s absence, though fellow newcomer Trent Alexander-Arnold struggled to justify the club’s high-profile move to lure him from Liverpool.
Al Hilal began the encounter on the front foot, pressing Madrid’s defence and pushing numbers forward, although they failed to convert several promising opportunities.
A standout moment came in the 29th minute when Salem Al-Dawsari danced his way through the Madrid backline, only for Aurelien Tchouameni to intervene with a perfectly timed tackle to deflect the ball behind for a corner.
Moments later, Al Hilal appeared to have taken the lead, only to see their joy cut short by an offside call.
Despite the energy-sapping heat — with ticket prices ranging from $160 to a staggering $950 — the crowd maintained a lively atmosphere throughout.
A scheduled cooling break at the 30-minute mark gave both sides a moment to regroup. Madrid’s players wrapped in wet towels and chugged rehydrating fluids during the pause, which seemed to revitalize them.
Just four minutes after the break, Madrid broke through. A precise team move unlocked the Al Hilal defence and García, teed up by Rodrygo, showed impressive composure to lift the ball gently over Bounou for the opener.
Al Hilal, however, remained unfazed and were back on level terms just before halftime. Neves calmly slotted home a penalty after Raul Asencio pulled back Marcos Leonardo in the area.
Right before the break, Al-Dawsari came close once again, narrowly missing the target after connecting with a clever through ball from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, concluding another impressive passage of play from the Saudi side.
Madrid increased their tempo in the second half, with substitute Arda Guler rattling the crossbar and Bounou pulling off a reflex save to deny García a brace.
Another hydration break midway through the second period did little to recharge Madrid. Though they dominated possession in the closing stages, Al Hilal’s defence remained resolute and denied them a winner.