Real Madrid 1-1 Al Hilal: Report & Full Match Highlights As Valverde Misses Late Penalty At Club World Cup
Real Madrid's FIFA Club World Cup campaign got underway with a dramatic 1-1 draw against Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal.
Los Blancos took the lead through Gonzalo Garcia in Xabi Alonso's first game as coach, but a Ruben Neves penalty levelled the group game. Fede Valverde then missed a late penalty to ensure it would just be the one point for Real Madrid.
🏁 @RealMadrid 1-1 @Alhilal_FC
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) June 18, 2025
⚽ 34' @gonzalo7garcia_
⚽ 41' Neves (p) pic.twitter.com/W7WusvI5br
Al Hilal started the game in a much more lively fashion than Real Madrid, with the first clear chance coming when Marcos Leonardo's shot flashed wide from close range after less than 10 minutes.
After 15 minutes, Kalidou Koulibaly appeared to bring Vinicius Jr down when the Brazilian was through on goal, but the referee opted to book the Real Madrid player for simulation. Al Hilal then had the ball in the net, but Renan Lodi was flagged offside.
Despite Al Hilal having the better of the first half, it was Real Madrid who took the lead after slightly more than half an hour. A smooth counter-attack from Alonso's side ended with Gonzalo Garcia getting on the end of a Rodrygo pass in the box and the scoring was opened.
The Saudi Pro League side was then awarded a penalty five minutes before the break as Raul Asencio pulled Leonardo down in the box. Ruben Neves stepped up and converted the penalty, making it 1-1.
The second half certainly didn't feature the same level of drama as the first, but both sides retained a threat in attack and a winner could have come at any moment.
One of the loudest cheers at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami came when Luka Modric came off the bench and replaced Jude Bellingham. The Croatian will leave Real Madrid at the end of this tournament, with a move to AC Milan looking likely.
In the 88th minute, some real drama arrived as the referee was called to the screen to look at a flailing arm from Mohammed Al-Qahtani in the face of Brahim Diaz in the penalty area. Real Madrid was then awarded a spot-kick and a golden chance to win the game.
Al Hilal clearly felt extremely aggrieved and they will feel that justice was done when Fede Valverde's penalty was saved by Yassine Bounou.
Both sides continued to push for a winner in added time, but Alonso and Simone Inzaghi were forced to settle for a draw.
Real Madrid vs Al Hilal Full Match Highlights
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Euan is an experienced soccer writer who has been featured by The Guardian, MARCA, 90min, Sempre Milan and many more similar publications. He secured a first-class degree in journalism at Liverpool John Moores University and his career has seen him primarily focus on European football, developing an in-depth knowledge of multiple clubs and leagues in the process.
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