Real Madrid’s Club World Cup Semifinal Sets Up Momentous Occasion for Kylian Mbappe | OneFootball

For the first time since joining Real Madrid, Kylian Mbappé is set to face his former club, Paris Saint-Germain.

After defeating Borussia Dortmund 3–2 in the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinals, Real Madrid became the final team to punch their tickets to the semifinals. The La Liga runners-up join Fluminense, Chelsea and PSG as the four remaining clubs battling to become the inaugural champions of the newly expanded Club World Cup.

Before Real Madrid can start dreaming of lifting their first piece of silverware under Xabi Alonso, they first must secure a victory in the semifinals against the defending European champions.

PSG are an opponent Real Madrid know well; the two sides have clashed eight times in the Champions League over the last decade. No one knows the Parisians better, though, than Mbappé.

Kylian Mbappe bagged 255 goals in his time at PSG. / IMAGO/Panoramic by PsnewZ

The France superstar joined PSG at age 18, signing a then-record deal for €180 million ($195.4 million). Mbappé went on to spend seven seasons in the French capital, winning six Ligue 1 titles along the way. He also became the club’s all-time leading goalscorer with 255 goals.

Mbappé bid farewell to the club at the end of the 2023–24 season and then joined Real Madrid as a free agent. Although he put together a historic debut season in a white shirt, winning the Pichichi Trophy and the European Golden Boot for his efforts, the 26-year-old could not lift the Spanish outfit to a major trophy.

PSG, meanwhile, capped off their 2024–25 campaign by winning the club’s first-ever Champions League title. Real Madrid could have matched up with Luis Enrique’s men in the Champions League semifinals, but they were eliminated by Arsenal in the quarterfinals.

Mbappé will now finally get his chance to face off with PSG in the Club World Cup semifinals. The match will mark just the third appearance for the forward in the United States this summer after he missed the group stage due to illness.

With a trip to the Club World Cup final on the line, along with the added pressure of battling against his former club, teammates and manager, Mbappé will hope to earn his first start of the tournament and bag his second goal.

PSG and Real Madrid will clash at MetLife Stadium on Wednesday, July 9.

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