The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 is underway, and the opening matches have already provided plenty of drama and excitement. Here's a recap of how Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Red Bull Salzburg fared in their respective matches.

Real Madrid, under the debut management of Xabi Alonso, were held to a 1-1 draw by a resilient Al Hilal side at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Real Madrid took the lead in the 34th minute when Gonzalo Garcia, filling in for the ill Kylian Mbappe, finished off a well-worked passing move. However, Al Hilal responded swiftly, with Ruben Neves converting a penalty in the 41st minute after Raul Asencio fouled Marcos Leonardo in the box. The second half saw chances for both sides, with Arda Guler, a second-half substitute for Real Madrid, hitting the crossbar. Real Madrid had a golden opportunity to win the game in the final minute when Garcia was fouled in the box, but Al Hilal's goalkeeper, Yassine Bounou, saved Federico Valverde's penalty. Despite the draw, Real Madrid will look to bounce back in their next match against the Mexican side. Al Hilal will face Salzburg in a crucial clash for qualification to the knockout stage. Trent Alexander-Arnold, making his first start for Real Madrid since joining from Liverpool, expressed his disappointment at not winning but acknowledged the team's mentality to win every game. Gonzalo Garcia, despite scoring the opening goal, described the result as bittersweet but emphasized the importance of the point gained.

In Philadelphia, Manchester City began their Club World Cup campaign with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Wydad AC. Phil Foden opened the scoring in the second minute, capitalizing on a loose ball after Wydad's goalkeeper, Mehdi Benabid, spilled a cross. Jeremy Doku added a second goal just before halftime, tapping in from a Foden corner. City dominated the game, with Ederson making a crucial save to deny Wydad's Cassius Mailula. Doku and Erling Haaland also had chances to extend City's lead, but Benabid denied them. A late red card for Rico Lewis did not affect City's momentum as they secured the win. Pep Guardiola, who described the Club World Cup campaign as the start of the new season, saw his team begin 2025/26 in style. Debuts were handed to Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki, who immediately impressed. Overall, it was a dominant display from Manchester City.

In Cincinnati, Red Bull Salzburg defeated CF Pachuca 2-1 in a match that was temporarily delayed due to lightning. Oscar Gloukh, a 21-year-old midfielder, scored the opening goal for Salzburg in the 42nd minute. Pachuca quickly responded after the restart, with Bryan Gonzalez scoring shortly after play resumed. However, Karim Onisiwo secured the victory for Salzburg with a goal in the 76th minute. Pachuca's captain, Salomon Rondón, had several opportunities to score, but Salzburg's 18-year-old debutant goalkeeper, Christian Zawieschitzky, proved too difficult to beat. With the win, Salzburg moved to the top of Group H. Their next match is against Al Hilal. Pachuca will face Real Madrid.