Real Madrid and Pachuca have faced each other once before

Spanish giants Real Madrid face Mexico’s Pachuca at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in a match that marks a rerun of the December FIFA Intercontinental Cup final.

Both sides are in need of a win in a group topped by Red Bull Salzburg.

How did Real Madrid and Pachuca fair in the first matches?

Real opened their tournament with a 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal as Federico Valverde missed the chance to hand Los Blancos all three points with a late penalty.

Gonzalo Garcia, who was stepping in for the fever-stricken Kylian Mbappe, gave Real the lead before Ruben Neves levelled from the spot for the Saudi Pro League side before halftime.

The match was Xabi Alonso’s first in charge of Real since replacing Carlo Ancelotti as manager.

Pachuca were beaten 2-1 by Austria’s Red Bull Salzburg in their opening Group H fixture.

Oscar Gloukh gave Salzburg the lead just before the break. Bryan Gonzalez levelled in the 56th minute but Karim Onisiwo sealed the points with 14 minutes to play.

What is the latest on Kylian Mbappe?

Mbappe was discharged from the hospital on Thursday after experiencing an acute case of gastroenteritis.

It is not known when he will be able to play at the Club World Cup.

The French forward, who was in “rough shape” according to his coach Xabi Alonso, has not been able to train since last Sunday.

Gastroenteritis is also known as stomach flu, and symptoms can include vomiting and diarrhoea.

What happened the last time Real Madrid met Pachuca?

Real qualified directly for the final of FIFA’s Intercontinental Cup in December on account of winning the UEFA Champions League.

Pachuca, as North American champions, were required to qualify for the final – beating Egypt’s African champions Al Ahly to set up the meeting with Madrid in Qatar.

Kylian Mbappe, Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior were all on target as Real romped to a 3-0 win to lift the inaugural Intercontinental Cup.

The tournament effectively replaced the old format of the FIFA Club World Cup and will be played out exclusively by the continental champions from around the world each year.

How did Real Madrid qualify for the Club World Cup?

Real’s place at the tournament was confirmed by their 2022 UEFA Champions League final victory against Liverpool.

Their subsequent 2024 victory against Borussia Dortmund confirmed their meeting with Pachuca at last year’s Intercontinental Cup.

How did Pachuca qualify for the Club World Cup?

The Mexican side beat the Columbus Crew 3-0 in the 2024 final of North America’s continental club competition, the Concacaf Champions Cup.