Real Madrid survived a frantic finish against Borussia Dortmund to reach the FIFA Club World Cup semifinals. And they have their French World Cup champion and Golden Boot winner to thank for helping them advance.
Kylian Mbappé scored in stoppage time to keep them ahead, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made a crucial save on the final play, and Real Madrid advanced past Dortmund, 3-2, in in their quarterfinal match on Saturday, June 5, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
Mbappé’s scored his first goal at the Club World Cup (90’+4’) with ideal timing. His fallaway right boot was the insurance Real Madrid needed, answering a goal scored by Dortmund’s Maximilian Beier (90’+2’), and coming before Serhou Guirassy scored a penalty (90’+8’) in the chaotic final minutes.
Courtois saved a right boot fired by Dortmund’s Marcel Sabitzer in the closing seconds to secure the victory, which Real Madrid had in hand for most of the match as Gonzalo García (10’) and Fran García (20’) built the early lead they barely sustained.
The Club World Cup semifinals are set: Premier League standouts Chelsea will face Brazilian side Fluminense in the first semifinal on Tuesday, July 8.
Real Madrid — which beat Dortmund in the 2024 Champions League final before Mbappé joined the club — will meet the 2025 Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain, Mbappé’s old team, in the other semifinal on Wednesday, July 9.
Both semifinals, and the Club World Cup final on Sunday, July 13 will be played at MetLife Stadium.
PSG VS. BAYERN: UEFA Champions League winners move onto Club World Cup semifinals
Mbappé entered as a substitute in the 68th minute, playing to the final whistle in his second consecutive match of the tournament. He missed the first three matches due to a stomach flu that caused him to be briefly hospitalized on June 19.
With Mbappé sidelined, Gonzalo García has made the most of his opportunity. He has scored four goals in Real Madrid’s five Club World Cup matches.
However, Mbappé proved his importance to Real Madrid’s Club World Cup title chances with his clutch score to help them advance to the semifinals.
Watch every Club World Cup game free on DAZN
Real Madrid vs. Dortmund, Club World Cup highlights
Real Madrid 3, Dortmund 2: Thibaut Courtois makes save to end match
What a save by Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois on the final play of the match, stoppage a shot by Dortmund’s Marcel Sabitzer. Real Madrid survives and advances.
Real Madrid 3, Dortmund 2: Serhou Guirassy scores penalty
Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy has scored a penalty in stoppage time (90’+8’), after being fouled by Real Madrid’s Dean Huijsen in the penalty area.
Real Madrid 3, Dortmund 1: Kylian Mbappé scores goal
Kylian Mbappé scored a fall-away goal with his right boot in added time (90’+4’) to punch Real Madrid’s ticket to the semifinal.
Real Madrid 2, Dortmund 1: Maximilian Beier scores goal
Dortmund trimmed the deficit with three minutes left to play. Maximilian Beier scored in added time (90’+2’) to make it 2-1. We’ll see if Real Madrid can close this out.
Real Madrid 2, Dortmund 0: Mbappé, Modric enter in second half
Real Madrid will make some substitutes with Mbappé, Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modric and Dani Ceballos coming on in the 68th minute for Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Will Mbappé enter in second half for Real Madrid?
Real Madrid leads 2-0, but it is unclear when Mbappé will enter the match as a substitute if he does. He was not listed as a starter in Real Madrid’s starting lineup for the match.
Real Madrid 2, Dortmund 0: Halftime update
Real Madrid is one half away from advancing in the Club World Cup. They control the match with two goals in the first 20 minutes from Gonzalo García (10′) and Fran García (20′), while Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham have spoiled opportunities to increase their lead. Dortmund had only one shot on goal from three attempts, despite controlling 58.5% possession in the first half.
Real Madrid 2, Dortmund 0: Jude Bellingham misses shot on goal
Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham nearly scored inside the box in the 27th minute, but his shot veered to the right of the net. It was a missed opportunity by Bellingham, who played for Dortmund from 2020-23, to triple Real Madrid’s lead in the first half.
Real Madrid 2, Dortmund 0: Fran García scores goal
Fran García has scored Real Madrid’s second goal, sneaking a left boot into the back of the net in the 20th minute.
It’s early, but everything is going Real Madrid’s way in this quarterfinal against Dortmund.
Real Madrid 1, Dortmund 0: Gonzalo García scores goal
Real Madrid received another goal from its breakout star in the Club World Cup: Gonzalo García has scored in the 10th minute, his fourth goal in five matches during the tournament.
García has started in place of Kylian Mbappé, who was sidelined with a stomach flu for the first three matches of the tournament and returned off the bench against Juventus in the last round. The decision to start García over Mbappé appears to have already paid off for Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso.
Real Madrid, Dortmund players honor Diogo Jota
How to watch Real Madrid vs. Dortmund live stream link?
The match is also available to live stream for free on DAZN.
How to watch Real Madrid vs. Dortmund match on TV?
The match will be broadcast by TNT and TruTv in English, and Univision and TUDN in Spanish in the United States.
What time is Real Madrid vs. Dortmund match?
The match begins at 4 p.m. ET (10 p.m. in Madrid and Dortmund, Germany)
Is Mbappé playing? Real Madrid starting lineup vs. Dortmund
Mbappé is expected to play, but will come on as a substitute. He was not listed as a starter in Real Madrid’s starting lineup for the match.
Borussia Dortmund starting lineup vs. Real Madrid
Is Jobe Bellingham playing today?
No, Jobe Bellingham is not playing for Dortmund because of a yellow card accumulation in the Club World Cup. He won’t play against his older brother, Jude for Real Madrid.
What did the coaches say before Real Madrid vs. Dortmund match?
It will be the fifth match for Xabi Alonso as Real Madrid’s coach, taking over during their Club World Cup run after leading Bayer Leverkusen in Germany.
“It will be an intense game, and we need to perform at a high level. We’re looking forward to it,” Alonso told reporters before the match.
Dortmund’s Niko Kovac orchestrated the club’s epic comeback from 10th place to fourth to finish the Bundesliga season.
“We’re expecting a lot of supporters, especially for Real Madrid,” Kovac told reporters. “We’re here as an underdog, but we also want to show our best face and hopefully – this is what we are believing – we can pass to the next round.”
Real Madrid vs. Dortmund betting odds
Here are the betting odds during regular time, according to BETMGM.
Real Madrid: -165
Draw: +333
Dortmund: +400
Over/under: 3.5 goals
Who will Real Madrid-Dortmund winner face in Club World Cup semifinal?
The winner of the Real Madrid-Dortmund match will face Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup semifinal on July 9 at MetLife Stadium.
Which teams are already in the Club World Cup semifinals?
Premier League standouts Chelsea and Brazilian club Fluminense in the first Club World Cup semifinal on July 8 at MetLife Stadium.
Chelsea beat Palmeiras (Brazil) 2-1, while Fluminense topped Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia) 2-0 on July 4.
When is the FIFA Club World Cup final?
The Club World Cup final will be played on Sunday, July 13 at 3 p.m. ET inside MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.