The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is in full swing. Six teams have already secured their places in the quarter-finals, leaving just two spots for the remaining four teams, who will battle it out in the round of 16. Among them are Real Madrid and Juventus, who will lock horns on Tuesday, July 1, at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, each aiming to claim a place in the last eight. Both sides are facing each other for the first time outside the European competition other than friendlies as they look to cement their chances of potentially winning the tournament. With the expectations of goals galore making the excitement more palpable, many are eager to know whether Madrid star Kylian Mbappé will be playing in the crucial fixture.

Will Kylian Mbappé start for Real Madrid vs. Juventus?

The French skipper who joined his “dream” club in the summer of 2024 is yet to make his appearance in this tournament. Not to mention there have been changes in the Los Blancos head coach role, as Carlo Ancelotti left for Brazil’s national team, and club icon Xabi Alonso took charge after enjoying a successful stint with Bayer Leverkusen.

Kylian Mbappé ended up missing the entire group stage after being diagnosed with acute gastroenteritis just a day before the CWC was set to kick off. But now, thanks to the team topping Group H to reach the last 16, he still has a chance to fulfill his debut in the tournament. In fact, with hours remaining until the kick-off, Alonso was generous enough to give an update on the star No. 9, who was even seen training with the squad.

“Kylian is doing well now and we are speaking every single day,” began the former Spanish midfielder and now-turned-coach in the pre-match presser. “We will talk to him in the morning to make the final decision. It’s a big possibility that he makes his Club World Cup debut tomorrow, though. I don’t know how much, but it’s a big possibility,” added the 43-year-old.

This update from Xabi Alonso is no less than music to ears, as ardent Madridistas can expect their star striker in action tonight. In fact, this isn’t the only good news surrounding the health status of the team. The former Liverpool midfielder also gave positive updates on other team members, including Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao.

“Both Dani and Eder are coming back after a long recovery. It’s an advantage for them and the whole team to feel they’re close and involved,” Alonso added, further widening the smiles on the faces of ardent fans. Now that we are aware of Kylian Mbappé’s situation and other injury news, we might as well discuss a quick preview of the game.

Real Madrid vs. Juventus: Preview

Kylian Mbappé’s Real Madrid endured a decent group stage, securing a 1-1 draw against Saudi league giants Al Hilal and an easy couple of victories against Pachuca (3-1) and RB Salzburg (3-0). Similar yet a wee bit different was the case for Juventus, who secured a second-place finish in Group G after enduring a 5-0 win over Al Ain, a 4-1 win over Wydad AC, and a 2-5 defeat at the hands of Manchester City.

Head-to-head stats

Notably, Real Madrid and Juventus have locked horns against each other five times, out of which either side has endured two wins and settled for a draw. The last time the Spanish giants hosted the Italian side was during the 2018 UEFA Champions League knockout stage.

Now, after years, they are finally back together at the CWC, as the winner of this game will be facing the winner of the last round of 16 match between Borussia Dortmund and Monterrey.

Predicted lineups

Real Madrid potential starting XI (3-5-2): Courtois; Rüdiger, Tchouaméni, Huijsen; Alexander-Arnold, Valverde; Güler, Bellingham, F. García; G. García, Vinícius Júnior

Juventus potential starting XI (3-4-3): Di Gregorio; Savona, Kelly, Kalulu; Costa, Thuram, Locatelli, Cambiaso; Conceição, Kolo Muani, Yildiz.

Speaking of Juve’s injury concerns, only Juan Cabal missed the trip to America with the team after having sustained an ACL tear earlier. The rest of the team remains fit and ready to be unleashed.

What time does Real Madrid vs. Juventus kick off?

The Real Madrid vs. Juventus round of 16 clash will kick off at 8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. ET / noon PT. As for the broadcasting details, fans can tune into DAZN to stream the game live, which will be officiated by Polish referee Szymon Marciniak.

Everything looks set in just a matter of time until the kickoff. Let’s see how well Kylian Mbappe does in his Club World Cup debut.