Looking up. It’s been a quiet but steady ascent by Los Blancos. As usual. Blink and they’re already in the final stages. Yesterday was their toughest test yet, on paper, but they got it done. 1-0 against Juve. Simple. Advance is the name of the game. It’ll also never cease to amaze how many Madridistas turn up to their matches here. Painted Miami all in white. It’s a crucial part of the equation, and their North American supporters have lifted the squad on many previous visits to the States. All signs point to Madrid making the semis now. And could we be in for the most prestigious team in Europe taking the first-ever Club World Cup? It’s becoming increasingly more likely…

Photography by: Peter Bonilla

A night that began with the long-awaited return of Kylian Mbappé ended with Gonzalo García continuing his breakout run at the Club World Cup, as Real Madrid edged Juventus 1-0 at Hard Rock Stadium to book a quarterfinal showdown with Borussia Dortmund.

The 21-year-old Madrid native struck the game’s only goal in the 54th minute, thumping a header from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s inch-perfect cross. It was García’s third goal of the tournament — all in his debut month with the senior squad — and another reminder that Real Madrid’s future might already be wearing white.

“I’m very happy for the goal,” García said post-match. “But even more for the win, and the work the team put in to get to the quarterfinals. We knew it’d be intense, and we grew into it with rhythm.”

It wasn’t an entirely smooth ride for Madrid, who started cautiously and nearly paid for it early. Juventus forward Randal Kolo Muani was slipped in by Kenan Yildiz but couldn’t beat Thibaut Courtois, his chip grazing the roof of the net. Juventus pressed hard in the opening stages, with Michele Di Gregorio keeping Madrid at bay at the other end, denying Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde with top-drawer saves.

But as the match wore on, Xabi Alonso’s side — playing an aggressive 3-4-3 — began to impose themselves. Valverde controlled the midfield, Alexander-Arnold surged forward from the right, and Madrid’s control became suffocating. The breakthrough came just as the pressure was peaking, with Alexander-Arnold delivering his first assist for the club — a whipped cross that García met with authority.

“Kylian is back, Trent is settling in, but Gonzalo has been the surprise of the tournament,” Alonso said. “He’s earned every minute.”

Mbappé, sidelined with gastroenteritis during the group stage, made his long-awaited tournament debut in the 68th minute to chants of “Mbappé! Mbappé!” from the largely pro-Madrid crowd. While his cameo was quiet, his presence on the pitch signaled Madrid’s growing strength as the competition heats up.

Di Gregorio was Juventus’s standout performer, making 10 saves and keeping the scoreline respectable. But the Italian side, sluggish after a long season and faded by the hour mark, offered little threat after halftime.

The defeat ends Juventus’s Club World Cup run, while Madrid march into the quarterfinals on the back of three straight wins and a roster beginning to click under Alonso’s leadership.

Gonzalo García, once a relative unknown, now leads the team in goals at the tournament. With Borussia Dortmund next on Saturday in New Jersey, Madrid’s blend of youth, star power, and tactical discipline is starting to look like a winning formula.

And if this is what Madrid looks like without a fully fit Mbappé, the rest of the field should be on notice.