Real Madrid are gearing up for their Club World Cup opener with a clash against Al-Hilal.
The former midfield maestro takes the reins in dramatic fashion, with no warm-up act—just a straight dive into the deep end in a high-stakes tournament fixture. It’s a baptism by fire for Alonso, and a golden chance to stamp his mark on the world’s most decorated club.
Meanwhile, not far removed from the headlines is Simone Inzaghi, who parted ways with Inter Milan just over two weeks ago. His final act was watching his side get steamrolled 5-0 by PSG in a lopsided Champions League final in Munich.
That humbling defeat marked the end of a rollercoaster four-year stint in charge of the Nerazzurri—one that delivered silverware galore, including a Serie A title, a pair of Coppa Italia triumphs, and two Supercoppa Italiana wins, but ultimately fell short of European glory.
The Sporting News looks at the key details ahead of this game, including how to watch the match, kickoff times and the latest lineup news.
Where to watch Real Madrid vs. Al Hilal: Live stream, TV channel
Here’s how to watch this FIFA Club World Cup match in the U.S.:
TV channel: Watch TNT
Live stream: DirecTV Stream, DAZN
This game is available for live TV broadcast on Watch TNT in the US. Streaming options are available on DirecTV Stream and DAZN.
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Real Madrid vs. Al Hilal start time
- Date: Wednesday, June 18
- Time: 3:00 p.m. ET | 12:00 p.m. PT
Real Madrid vs. Al Hilal will kick off at 3:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, June 18, from the Hard Rock Stadum, Miami Gardens, Florida, United States.
Here’s how that time translates across the U.S.:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| Eastern Time | Wed, Jun. 18 | 3:00 p.m. |
| Central Time | Wed, Jun. 18 | 2:00 p.m. |
| Mountain Time | Wed, Jun. 18 | 1:00 p.m. |
| Pacific Time | Wed, Jun. 18 | 12:00 p.m. |
Real Madrid vs. Al Hilal predicted lineups, team news
Real Madrid’s squad might be packed for the trip across the pond, but not everyone’s expected to lace up their boots. Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, David Alaba, Eduardo Camavinga, and Ferland Mendy have all made the journey to the United States, yet they’re likely to remain spectators rather than starters due to lingering injury concerns.
As for Antonio Rudiger, his status remains up in the air following knee surgery in April. He’s racing the clock, and it’s touch-and-go whether he’ll be ready to suit up.
Brazilian wonderkid Endrick won’t be making any waves in this tournament either, after tweaking his hamstring last month. His absence leaves a void, but there’s no shortage of fresh faces ready to seize the spotlight.
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen are both poised for their Real Madrid debuts, having swapped the Premier League for La Liga over the summer. All eyes will be on the new recruits to see if they hit the ground running.
Meanwhile, up top, Kylian Mbappé will be looking to pick up right where he left off. After lighting up La Liga with 31 goals in 34 games to bag both the Pichichi and the European Golden Shoe, the French superstar will be hungry for more as Madrid chase global glory.
Real Madrid predicted XI (4-3-3, right to left): Courtois (GK) — Alexander-Arnold, Asencio, Huijsen, Garcia — Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham — Rodrygo, Vinicius, Mbappe.
Injured: Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, David Alaba, Eduardo Camavinga, Ferland Mendy, Antonio Rudiger, Endrick.
Suspended: None.
Inzaghi is expected to stick to his tried-and-true 3-5-2 blueprint at Al-Hilal, though it might take a bit of fine-tuning to get everyone singing from the same hymn sheet.
Guarding the net will likely be Bono, the ex-Sevilla shot-stopper, with a solid wall of Kalidou Koulibaly, Hassan Tambakti, and Ali Al-Bulayhi forming the three-man backline in front of him.
On the flanks, Joao Cancelo is aiming to shake off the rust after sitting out the final six matches of the season. If he proves his fitness, the former Barcelona full-back could slot in as one of the wing-backs—bringing flair and firepower to the wide channels.
Leading the line will be the ever-reliable Aleksandar Mitrovic, who found the back of the net 28 times across all competitions last term. If anyone’s going to rattle Real Madrid’s cage, it’s the Serbian sharpshooter.
Al Hilal predicted XI (3-5-2, right to left): Bono (GK) — Tambakti, Koulibaly, Al-Bulayhi — Cancelo, Kanno, Neves, Milinkovic-Savic, S. Al-Dawsari — Malcolm, Mitrovic.
Injured: None.
Suspended: None.
FIFA Club World Cup fixture schedule this week
All times ET
Wednesday, June 18
- Man City vs. Wydad (12:00 p.m.)
- Real Madrid vs. Al Hilal (3:00 p.m.)
- Pachuca vs. Salzburg (6:00 p.m.)
- Al Ain vs. Juventus (9:00 p.m.)
Thursday, June 19
- Palmeiras vs. Al Ahly (12:00 p.m.)
- Inter Miami vs. Porto (3:00 p.m.)
- Seattle Sounders vs. Atletico Madrid (6:00 p.m.)
- PSG vs. Botafogo (9:00 p.m.)
Friday, June 20
- Benfica vs. Auckland City (12:00 p.m.)
- Flamengo vs. Chelseao (2:00 p.m.)
- LAFC vs. ES Tunis (6:00 p.m.)
- Bayern Munich vs. Boca Juniors (9:00 p.m.)
Saturday, June 21
- Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Bor. Dortmund (12:00 p.m.)
- Inter Milan vs. Urawa Red Diamonds (3:00 p.m.)
- Fluminense vs. Ulsan HD (6:00 p.m.)
- River Plate vs. Monterrey (9:00 p.m.)
Sunday, June 22
- Juventus vs. Wydad (12:00 p.m.)
- Real Madrid vs. Pachuca (3:00 p.m.)
- Salzburg vs. Al Hilal (6:00 p.m.)
- Man City vs. Al Ain (9:00 p.m.)
