MIAMI — Kylian Mbappe has timed his introduction at the FIFA Club World Cup to perfection.
Less than 24 hours after fellow soccer superstar Erling Haaland vacated the competition following Manchester City’s shock defeat against Al Hilal, the Real Madrid forward was given a hero’s welcome after returning from illness midway through the second-half of Real Madrid’s round of 16 clash against Juventus in Miami. Real Madrid won 1-0.
Just as Real Madrid appeared set for the quarterfinals after taking the lead on Tuesday — with a potential clash against Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain awaiting in the semifinals — Mbappe finally entered the fray in this competition.
How big a deal is that? Well, the chants of “Mbappe, Mbappe” from the white-shirted Real Madrid supporters inside the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami sounded like the crowd in a “Rocky” film. Mbappe was the player everybody wanted to see, even just warming up on the touchline, so his 23-minute outing was good news for all — apart from Real’s opponents. Madrid were strong and largely untroubled by a poor Juventus team, but Mbappe’s return to action will only make them stronger.
His presence will also be welcomed by FIFA, who will always want the game’s leading names to be at the forefront of their competitions. This tournament, which has been affected by severe weather and disappointing attendances at many games, needs the biggest stars to capture the public’s imagination.
Mbappe’s absence until — a result of acute gastroenteritis — has denied the Club World Cup a player who might just be the only rival right now to Lamine Yamal’s claim to be the No. 1 footballer in the world. Yamal isn’t here in the United States, of course.
LaLiga champions Barcelona did not qualify for the Club World Cup, so although Lionel Messi enjoyed his time in the spotlight during Inter Miami’s run to the knockout stages, Haaland and Mbappe have been the players that have warranted the most attention. And Mbappe, due to his illness, has had to watch from the sidelines as Messi, Haaland and others have created the magical moments that can boost a player’s status on the world stage.
The France international, who was briefly hospitalized as a result of his condition last month, has also been forced to wait for his chance to prove himself as the main man under new coach Xabi Alonso.
The new manager again reiterated ahead of this game that Mbappe will be expected to work as hard for the team as every other player. It sounds simple enough, but other coaches, notably PSG’s Luis Enrique, have tried and failed to make Mbappe do just that, so how Alonso gets the best out of the 26-year-old is something we have all been waiting to see during the Club World Cup.
And although Gonzalo GarcÃa sealed victory for Real with his third goal in four games at this competition, the 21-year-old is not going to keep Mbappe out of the team. Mbappe will play, but how he plays and whether he delivers the work-rate that Alonso demands is the issue that may become clearer in the games ahead.
Mbappe’s link-up play with VinÃcius Júnior after replacing Garcia was sharp and Mbappe also moved across the forward line in search of the ball, but the goal that he and the crowd would have wished for didn’t materialise. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s pinpoint cross for Garcia’s headed goal — the former Liverpool defender’s first goal involvement for his new club — showed the kind of delivery that Mbappe will likely thrive upon this season.
With Alexander-Arnold out wide, VinÃcius working closely with him in the final third and the creativity of both Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde behind him, Mbappe will get endless chances to score and do even better than the 43 goals in 56 games that he registered in his first season at Madrid following his free agent move from PSG a year ago.
While Mbappe watched from the bench, Madrid went close to scoring through Bellingham, Valverde, Dean Huijsen and Arda Güler. But for goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio making several crucial saves, Juventus would have lost by a heavier margin.
But it needed Garcia’s 54th minute header to seal the victory and a quarterfinal clash against either Monterrey or Borussia Dortmund in New Jersey on Saturday. Monterrey would ensure a Real Madrid reunion for Sergio Ramos, who now plays for the Mexican team, while Dortmund progressing to that game would see Bellingham face younger brother Jobe for the first time in a professional fixture.
So, there will be plenty of potential headlines when Real next take to the field, but Mbappe is capable of claiming the biggest one.
Real Madrid’s star man is back and he will be wanting to make up for lost time at the Club World Cup.
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