They ultimately fell to PSG in the semi-finals, but all in all it was an impressive debut tournament for new coach Xabi Alonso. Now, as the dust settles, let’s take a look at five things we learned from Los Blancos’ performances.
Xabi Alonso isn’t afraid to mix up the formation
It was rare for Real Madrid to move away from the 4-3-3 under Carlo Ancelotti, but now fans can expect a lot more tactical variation under Xabi Alonso.
The Spanish tactician said it himself: “We don't have a fixed system that I obsess over and refuse to change, as we must always be dynamic and flexible, able to adapt to different situations.”
His actions backed up his words, as the Spanish side used several different formations during the tournament in the United States, some with a back three and some with a back four.
Tchouaméni could be the pillar of this team
Whatever the formation, it seems likely that Aurélien Tchouaméni will have an important role in the middle of the park. The Frenchman played all but five minutes of Real Madrid’s games in the Club World Cup, and received a lot of praise from his new coach.
Able to drop deep into the back line at times and able to join the attack as well, Tchouaméni covered a lot of ground and seems poised to have a strong season.
The full-backs are more involved in attack
Last season, Real Madrid’s starting right-back and left-back entering the season were Dani Carvajal and Ferland Mendy, both defence-first full-backs.
With the arrival of Trent Alexander-Arnold and with Fran García playing every minute at the Club World Cup, it seems Los Blancos will be getting a lot more offensive output from their full-backs in 2025/26.
It’s not just a matter of personnel, as the style of play has changed too to involve the full-backs in the final third much more, especially with overlapping runs towards the byline.
The new signings look promising
Real Madrid fans were excited to see how new signings Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold would do in this tournament, and both played very well at different points.
In fact, it is telling that the team’s defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals came with the Spain and England internationals both unavailable, due to suspension and injury respectively.
When the new season begins, both these summer signings can expect to be heavily involved, having already impressed in the United States.
Gonzalo García has a role to play
One of the breakout stars of the tournament was Real Madrid centre-forward Gonzalo García, who scored four goals in six appearances, earning the competition’s golden boot.
The 21-year-old had only made six appearances for the first team before this tournament in the United States, but doubled his appearance tally under Xabi Alonso.
The new coach even compared the young striker to Raúl, praising his positioning and work ethic. We can expect to see Gonzalo earning minutes during the 2025/26 campaign.