Club World Cup: Could losing to Dortmund be good news for Real Madrid? | OneFootball

Real Madrid

Tomorrow, Saturday, Real Madrid will face Dortmund in the quarter-finals of the 2025 Club World Cup. But could an early exit actually be good news for Los Blancos?

After a disappointing 2024-2025 season without a single major trophy, Real Madrid are hungrier than ever. This Club World Cup is the perfect chance to restore their reputation and kick off the new season in style. Everything seems to be pushing the Merengues to chase this title. However, behind the scenes, an early defeat could actually be the best thing that could happen to them.

The reason for this dilemma comes from Spain, and it has a name: Javier Tebas. The president of La Liga has been crystal clear: there will be no changes to the domestic schedule for clubs participating in the FIFA competition. La Liga will resume on the weekend of August 16, whether Real Madrid reach the final on July 13 or not. "They are asking for more rest days, but they can earn €140 million from the Club World Cup," he said bluntly. A victory over Dortmund, followed by potential semi-finals and a final, would mean almost no summer break for Brahim Diaz and his teammates.

The message sent by the La Liga boss sounds like a declaration of war. Tebas views this Club World Cup as an "aberration" that distorts the domestic competition and jeopardizes the integrity of his own league. He has vowed to do "everything possible to make sure this never happens again."