European Giants Collide: Real Madrid Faces Borussia Dortmund in Club World Cup Quarter-Final Showdown

The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 quarter-finals culminate today with a highly anticipated European blockbuster: Real Madrid C.F. will take on Borussia Dortmund at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey. Kick-off is set for 4:00 PM local time (22:00 in both Madrid and Dortmund), promising an electric atmosphere as two of the continent's most iconic clubs battle for a semi-final berth.

This contest carries an extra layer of intrigue, serving as a swift rematch of recent high-stakes encounters. These two powerhouses last met in October 2024, a UEFA Champions League clash at Santiago Bernabéu where the Spanish giants emerged 5-2 victors. This followed their decisive showdown in the 2024 Champions League Final, which saw Madrid lift the trophy with a 2-0 triumph. Dortmund will undoubtedly be eager to turn the tables on their familiar rivals.

Both clubs arrive at this quarter-final stage with unblemished records in the current Club World Cup. Los Blancos secured their spot in the last eight with a hard-fought 1-0 Round of 16 victory over Juventus FC, while Die Schwarzgelben edged out CF Monterrey 2-1 to book their place.

Team News and Key Players

Real Madrid fans will be buoyed by the return of Kylian Mbappé. The French striker made his first appearance of the tournament in the recent win against Juventus, entering as a 68th-minute substitute. Having missed the group stage due to illness, coach Xabi Alonso confirms Mbappé is "getting better every day," sparking speculation of a potential start.

For Borussia Dortmund, a key player will be absent. Midfielder Jobe Bellingham is set to miss the much-anticipated clash against his brother Jude's Real Madrid, serving a one-match suspension after accumulating his second booking of the competition in the Monterrey tie. Despite this, Dortmund boasts formidable attacking talent, notably Serhou Guirassy, who has been in scintillating form, plundering 12 goals in his last ten appearances for the German side across all competitions.

Possible Starting Lineups:

Real Madrid: Thibaut Courtois, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rudiger, Aurelien Tchouameni, Dean Huijsen, Fran Garcia, Federico Valverde, Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler, Gonzalo Garcia/Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Junior.

Borussia Dortmund: Gregor Kobel, Julian Ryerson, Niklas Sule, Waldemar Anton, Ramy Bensebaini, Daniel Svensson, Felix Nmecha, Pascal Gross, Marcel Sabitzer, Serhou Guirassy, Karim Adeyemi.

Voices from the Camps

Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso expressed confidence ahead of the fixture: "We feel good. After getting past the group stage and Juventus, you want to keep taking steps, and the next one is a quarter-final with Dortmund, a top team in Europe, one that is always competing in the Champions and recently played in the final, of course against Madrid. It is going to be an intense match, one in which we need to play at a good level and so we're up for it."

Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham, facing his former club, commented: "I think it will be a difficult match. We have already played against them, but they have changed a little. Kovac has changed the team, he’s inspired them this season. They’ve improved. It’ll be a very exciting match."

Borussia Dortmund winger Karim Adeyemi acknowledged the challenge: "I think [Real Madrid] have world-class players. Offense-wise, I think they are really good and also they have a good defense. It's just difficult. They have in every position a top player, so we have to be careful for that and at the end, we have to have a good day and a good match to win this."

Dortmund coach Niko Kovac recognized his counterpart's impact: “We know (Xabi Alonso) very well. He worked two and a half years in Germany, and he did a fantastic job. Now he's implementing everything he had at Bayer Leverkusen at Real Madrid. So we're expecting the same what we had in Leverkusen, only with different players. We're looking forward to it but you have to play football for 90 minutes, and if we put everything on to the pitch, I think that we will have a good chance.”

Key Statistics and Head-to-Head

In 16 competitive encounters, Real Madrid holds a superior record against Dortmund with eight wins, five draws, and three defeats. This match is a direct rerun of the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League final, where Real Madrid clinched a 2-0 victory at Wembley Stadium, securing their record 15th European title. Notably, Real Madrid has also opened the scoring in all four of their Club World Cup matches to date.

Dortmund enters this quarter-final on an impressive run, undefeated in their last 11 competitive outings, boasting nine wins and two draws. Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso's history against Dortmund from his time at Bayer Leverkusen (October 2022 to May 2025) adds another layer, with his record against them standing at one win, two draws, and two defeats. His last home match as Leverkusen boss, on May 11, ended in a 4-2 defeat to Dortmund.

The match also sees Jude Bellingham face his former club, where he spent three seasons (2020-2023), scoring 24 goals in 132 appearances and winning the DFB-Pokal in 2020-21. His younger brother, Jobe, who joined Dortmund last month, has made a significant impact in their Club World Cup campaign, including a goal in their 4-3 group-stage win over Mamelodi Sundowns FC.

The Venue: MetLife Stadium

Today's battle unfolds at MetLife Stadium, a multipurpose arena that serves as home to the NFL's New York Giants and New York Jets. This iconic venue previously hosted the final of the 2016 Copa América Centenario. Furthermore, MetLife Stadium has been selected as the host for the FIFA World Cup 26 Final, in addition to two other knockout ties and five group-stage matches during that tournament, cementing its status as a premier global football destination.