The newly expanded 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is heating up, both literally and figuratively, as top clubs clashed across U.S. stadiums in a dramatic round of matches.
From Real Madrid’s stumble in Miami to Juventus’s dominance in Washington, the past two days delivered goals, controversy, and moments of brilliance, Idman.biz reports.
Real Madrid stunned by Al-Hilal (1–1)
Real Madrid’s first appearance under Xabi Alonso didn’t go as planned in the sweltering Miami heat. With Kylian Mbappé sidelined due to illness, youngster Gonzalo García stepped up in the 34th minute, converting a precise assist from debutant Trent Alexander-Arnold.
But Al-Hilal, disciplined and determined, fought back. Rúben Neves equalized from the penalty spot just before halftime. The Spanish giants had a golden chance to steal the win deep into stoppage time, but Yassine Bounou heroically saved Federico Valverde’s spot-kick. The final whistle confirmed a disappointing 1–1 draw for Madrid.
“We lacked sharpness in the final third,” Alonso admitted. “The weather didn’t help, but that’s not an excuse.”
Manchester City cruise past Wydad AC (2–0)
In Philadelphia, Phil Foden starred in Manchester City’s 2–0 victory over Wydad AC. The England international scored just two minutes into the match and later provided an assist for Jérémy Doku. The champions displayed their depth, giving debuts to Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki, while Rodri and Haaland joined in the second half.
However, the win was soured by a late red card shown to Rico Lewis for a high challenge, confirmed by VAR. He will now miss City’s next group match. Wydad fans lit flares mid-match, prompting a brief pause in play and added tension.
Juventus dismantle Al-Ain (5–0)
Juventus delivered the tournament’s most one-sided performance yet with a 5–0 thrashing of Al-Ain at Washington’s Audi Field. Randal Kolo Muani bagged a brace, Francisco Conceição added two of his own, and Kenan Yildiz rounded out the scoring.
Despite the convincing win, headlines were shared by an earlier off-field visit to former U.S. President Donald Trump. His remarks on gender in sports during a Q&A sparked mixed reactions. On the pitch, however, coach Igor Tudor declared the performance “a statement of intent.”
Salzburg upset Pachuca (2–1, June 18, Cincinnati)
Red Bull Salzburg stunned Pachuca in Cincinnati, seizing top spot in Group H behind dynamic performances and a weather-affected match. Oscar Gloukh broke the deadlock in the 42nd minute with a stunning long-range shot. After a 90-minute lightning delay, Bryan González equalized via a free kick just after the restart. But substitute Karim Onisiwo headed home the decisive goal in the 76th minute. With a youthful squad averaging under 22, Salzburg became the first European side to beat a Latin American club in this tournament’s group stage.
Group stage overview:
Group A
1st Round
June 15
Al-Ahly (Egypt) 0–0 Inter Miami (USA)
June 16
Palmeiras (Brazil) 0–0 Porto (Portugal)
2nd Round
June 19
20:00 Palmeiras vs Al-Ahly
23:00 Inter Miami vs Porto
3rd Round – June 24
05:00 Inter Miami vs Palmeiras
05:00 Porto vs Al-Ahly
Group B
1st Round
June 15
PSG (France) 4–0 Atlético Madrid (Spain)
June 16
Botafogo (Brazil) 2–1 Seattle Sounders (USA)
2nd Round
June 20
02:00 Seattle Sounders vs Atlético Madrid
05:00 PSG vs Botafogo
3rd Round
June 23
23:00 Seattle Sounders vs PSG
23:00 Atlético Madrid vs Botafogo
Group C
1st Round
June 15
Bayern Munich (Germany) 10–0 Auckland City (New Zealand)
June 17
Boca Juniors (Argentina) 2–2 Benfica (Portugal)
2nd Round
June 20
20:00 Benfica vs Auckland City
June 21
05:00 Bayern Munich vs Boca Juniors
3rd Round
June 24
23:00 Benfica vs Bayern Munich
23:00 Auckland City vs Boca Juniors
Group D
1st Round
June 16
Chelsea (England) 2–0 Los Angeles FC (USA)
June 17
Flamengo (Brazil) 2–0 Espérance (Tunisia)
2nd Round
June 20–21
22:00 Flamengo vs Chelsea
02:00 Los Angeles FC vs Espérance
3rd Round
June 25
05:00 Espérance vs Chelsea
05:00 Los Angeles FC vs Flamengo
Group E
1st Round
June 17
River Plate (Argentina) 3–1 Urawa Reds (Japan)
June 18
Monterrey (Mexico) 1–1 Inter Milan (Italy)
2nd Round
June 21–22
23:00 Inter Milan vs Urawa Reds
05:00 River Plate vs Monterrey
3rd Round
June 26
05:00 Inter Milan vs River Plate
05:00 Urawa Reds vs Monterrey
Group F
1st Round
June 17
Fluminense (Brazil) 0–0 Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
June 18
Ulsan (South Korea) 0–1 Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
2nd Round
June 21–22
20:00 Mamelodi Sundowns vs Borussia Dortmund
02:00 Fluminense vs Ulsan
3rd Round
June 25
23:00 Borussia Dortmund vs Ulsan
23:00 Mamelodi Sundowns vs Fluminense
Group G
1st Round
June 18
Manchester City (England) 2–0 Wydad Casablanca (Morocco)
June 19
Al-Ain (UAE) 0–5 Juventus (Italy)
2nd Round
June 22–23
20:00 Juventus vs Wydad
05:00 Manchester City vs Al-Ain
3rd Round
June 26
23:00 Juventus vs Manchester City
23:00 Wydad vs Al-Ain
Group H
1st Round
June 18
Real Madrid (Spain) 1–1 Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
June 19
Pachuca (Mexico) 1–2 Red Bull Salzburg (Austria)
2nd Round
June 22–23
23:00 Real Madrid vs Pachuca
02:00 Salzburg vs Al-Hilal
3rd Round
June 27
05:00 Salzburg vs Real Madrid
05:00 Al-Hilal vs Pachuca
Knockout Stages:
Round of 16: June 28 – July 1
Quarterfinals: July 4–5
Semifinals: July 8–9
Final: July 13
Idman.biz
