.
Real Madrid takes on Paris Saint-Germain in a 2025 FIFA Club World Cup semifinal that is worthy enough of the final itself. Most likely, this is probably the true CWC final right here, right now. What’s interesting here is how both clubs, the reigning UEFA Champions League holders vs. the club that has more UCL titles than anybody else, have gotten this far despite only minimal contributions from their superstar forwards.
Due to health/fitness concerns, neither Ousmane Dembele nor Kylian Mbappe have started a single match in this tournament.
Paris Saint-Germain vs Real Madrid FYIs
Kickoff: Wed July 9, 3pm EST, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ, USA
Format: Club World Cup Semifinal
Preview Material for both sides: Team News
We are projecting both to get a first team nod, finally, in this one.
Xabi Alonso will put his Ballon d’Or winner in the first team here, and with it, give us the obvious natural storyline that we were all waiting for- Mbappe versus his former club/the place where he made a name for himself.
Starting Lineup Predictions
Real Madrid
Thibaut Courtois; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rudiger, Marco Asensio, Fran Garcia; Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler; Vinicius Jr, Kylian Mbappe.
PSG
Gigi Donnarumma; Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Lucas Beraldo, Nuno Mendes; Joao Neves, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz; Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter