Federico Valverde missed a stoppage-time penalty as Real Madrid were held to a 1–1 draw by Saudi side Al-Hilal in the Club World Cup on Wednesday night.
The match, played before a 62,415-strong crowd at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, marked the first competitive outing for Real’s new manager, Xabi Alonso. Despite dominating much of the second half, Madrid failed to secure victory in Alonso’s debut.
Al-Hilal, under the guidance of newly appointed Italian coach Simone Inzaghi, delivered an energetic and determined performance, unsettling Madrid’s defence and earning a surprise point.
The Saudi champions began brightly, with Salem Al-Dawsari and Marcos Leonardo both threatening early on. Al-Dawsari even had a goal ruled out for offside after Renan Lodi’s finish.
Real began to settle and took the lead in the 34th minute through Gonzalo, who had started in place of the absent Kylian Mbappé. After launching a counterattack from deep, he finished the move with a clever touch following a sharp cross from Rodrygo.
But the Spanish giants’ lead was short-lived. Four minutes before the interval, Raul Asencio was penalised for pulling down Marcos Leonardo, and Ruben Neves converted the resulting penalty for Al-Hilal.
Real improved after the break, with Arda Güler rattling the crossbar and Gonzalo forcing a strong save from Yassine Bounou. Valverde also came close with a long-range effort.
Despite Madrid’s dominance, Al-Hilal grew back into the match in the final stages and could have snatched the win through Leonardo’s missed chances.
Real were handed a golden opportunity to seal all three points late on when Mohammed Al-Qahtani was adjudged to have fouled Fran García in the area. However, Valverde’s penalty was brilliantly saved by Bounou, ensuring a deserved draw for the resilient Saudi side.
Inzaghi Delighted, Alonso Reflective
After the match, Al-Hilal boss Simone Inzaghi praised his team:
“It was a very good performance. We stood up to one of the world’s best teams with discipline and heart. I couldn’t have asked for more.”
Xabi Alonso admitted Madrid were second-best in the opening half:
“We lacked structure and gave the ball away too easily. But the second-half response was much better—we took control, created chances, and should have won.”
The result leaves both teams with work to do in Group H as the competition progresses.