FIFA Club World Cup
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Paris Saint-Germain take on Real Madrid today for a place in Sunday’s FIFA Club World Cup final against Premier League side Chelsea.
Luis Enrique’s European champions have been in fine form this summer and are the narrow favorites to win today’s game, as Xabi Alonso continues to develop his fledgling Real Madrid side.
The conditions at MetLife may be sweltering but Luka Modric found a way to cool off.
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Of all the 32 teams at the Club World Cup, Real Madrid are the only side not to have fallen behind in a game,
Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain have only conceded one goal across their five matches at this tournament.
This isn't my first weather update at this tournament, but hopefully it will be my last. It is swelteringly hot around MetLife Stadium, so those fans inside the the ground in the few shaded areas have lucked out. I can't help but feel the intensity, and quality, of a game must be negatively affected by playing in this heat and humidity.
A big cheer for the Real Madrid players as they run out to warm-up. Vinicius Junior heads straight for the dugout where the cameras have been focusing on Jay-Z sat down there. The pair share an embrace before the Brazilian returns back to the warm-up.
Vinicius Jr is represented by Roc Nation Sports, the agency co-owned by Jay-Z.
At last night's pre-match press conference, Luis Enrique spoke about how Real Madrid are coming along Xabi Alonso, who is still relatively new to his position as manager of the club.
"First of all, it's very difficult to analyse this Real side," he said. "At the moment, Alonso is starting his work there. So it's difficult to analyse him and say what he is. We know that his players are very strong individually, but this is only the start of his career as Real coach. I think he's got everything he needs to succeed at this club.
"We're in two completely different situations. I've been working at Paris Saint-Germain for two years, and he's a coach who's just arrived in Madrid. We're in good form, I don't know who's favourite but I'm sure it'll be a very good match."
Despite Kylian Mbappe returning to Real Madrid's starting line-up, Gonzalo Garcia keeps his place his place in the XI, and why shouldn't he? He's directly contributed to a goal in all five of Madrid's match, recording four goals and one assist.
At 21 years and 103 days old, Gonzalo is the youngest Madrid player since Jese in 2014 to record goal contributions in five straight starts.
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Walking around MetLife Stadium, I get the sense that this is going to feel like a home game for Real Madrid. I’ve actually seen more Barcelona jerseys than PSG, so the European champions are going be struggling for support.
Lots of fans very excited to see Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe. Gonzalo Garcia purists are, unfortunately, in short supply.
Starting line-up: Donnarumma, Hakimi, Marquinhos, Beraldo, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz, Joao Neves, Kvaratskhelia, Doue, Dembele
Subs: Barcola, Kamara, Lee Kang-in, Mayulu, Mbaye, Ramos, Safonov, Arnau Tenas, Zaire-Emery
Real Madrid made their efforts to give Xabi Alonso the best possible squad for the Club World Cup. They signed Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold, but today, on a very important day, neither can play, through suspension and injury respectively.
Kylian Mbappe is making his first start of the tournament after coming on as a substitute in both of Real Madrid's knockout matches. The former PSG player missed the group stage due to acute gastroenteritis.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, meanwhile, is absent from Xabi Alonso's squad today after experiencing muscle discomfort in his right leg.
Starting line-up: Courtois, Valverde, Rudiger, Asencio, Fran Garcia, Arda Guler, Tchouameni, Bellingham, Vinicius Jr, Mbappe, Gonzalo Garcia
Subs: Lunin, Carvajal, Militao, Camavinga, Modric, Rodrygo, Lucas Vazquez, Ceballos, Brahim, Youssef, Jacobo, Chema, Victor Munoz, Mario Martin
Jobe Bellingham, pictured above, is on hand at MetLife to cheer on his brother.
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Luis Enrique was excited when he spoke as last night's pre-match press conference, looking forward to the opportunity that this match presents.
"Playing Real is a special game, without a doubt," he said. "We're happy to play this type of match because it means we've done our job well. A semi-final is very motivating. We, the players and the coach, are ready for Wednesday, to go out and get to another final. There are a lot of things that make this a special match, but it's the opportunity to play in a world final that's important. We need to stay focused on the match and this semi-final."
Get your photo taken with … a gorilla? Your guess is as good as mine but these young fans outside of MetLife Stadium are excited!
Real Madrid have been comfortably the biggest draw at the Club World Cup.
In a tournament where plenty of focus has been on sparse crowds, their average attendance has been 67,247.
From the Goal movie trilogy and Galacticos project to their huge appeal to a Spanish-speaking audience, Madrid's popularity in the United States has been decades in the making.
James Horncastle and Adam Crafton break down how Florentino Perez's Madrid have conquered the United States at the link below.
GO FURTHER
How Real Madrid conquered the United States: Galacticos, trophies and… the Goal movie?
Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid have met 12 times, with Madrid holding a slight advantage with five wins to PSG's four alongside three draws.
Today's match marks the fifth knockout tie between the two clubs, but the first at the semi-final stage. PSG won the first two – in the 1992-93 UEFA Cup and 1993-94 Cup Winners’ Cup – but Madrid came out on top in the last two, in the Champions League round of 16 in 2017-18 and 2021-22.
Both of PSG's goals in the 2022 tie were scored by Kylian Mbappe, who's facing his former team today for the first time since leaving in 2024.
Real Madrid have been solid throughout the Club World Cup but today they face Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desire Doue and co.
It's poised to be quite the tactical battle between Xabi Alonso and Luis Enrique.
Mark Carey breaks it all down at the link below, including Madrid's subtle tweaks across the tournament and how those tactics will fare against PSG.
GO FURTHER
Real Madrid are using Valverde to protect Alexander-Arnold – how will that go against PSG?
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The boffins over at Opta have run this match thousands of times through their projection model, and have labelled Paris Saint-Germain favourites to advance.
They project PSG's likelihood of progressing to the final at 59 per cent, leaving Real Madrid at 41 per cent.
When considering the result at 90 minutes, their model gives PSG a 47 per cent chance of winning, Madrid a 27 per chance, and extra time being required at 26 per cent.
Reader Dennis C. writes in to add to the discussion of whether these major tournaments should be held in the U.S. during the summer.
💬 Matches of this size, including the World Cup, should not be staged in the summer in countries where it's so hot. Football is a winter sport. The pitches are not up to standard and temperatures are too much.
Remember, you can share your thoughts with us by emailing live@theathletic.com or by joining the discussion page here.
These three framed newspaper front pages seen at MetLife, celebrating the stadium's hosting of next year's World Cup final.