New Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso warned his team’s stars including Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe on Wednesday that they must all pitch in defensively.

Last season under Carlo Ancelotti Los Blancos failed to win a major trophy and the Italian was at times exasperated with his forward line’s unwillingness to work hard enough for the sake of the team as a whole.

“What I am certain of is that we need and want everyone to defend — the 11 players on the pitch have to be involved defensively,” Alonso told a news conference ahead of Madrid’s Club World Cup clash against RB Salzburg.

“They have to get close together, they have to know how we want to press, and without that, things will be very complicated.

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“Vini, Jude (Bellingham), Fede (Valverde), Kylian, those up front, the defence has to push forward too.”

Ancelotti said last season that he was not concerned if Mbappe pressed or not and wanted the striker to focus on goalscoring.

The 26-year-old netted 43 goals across all competitions in his first season at the Santiago Bernabeu after his move from Paris Saint-Germain.

Real Madrid face Austrian side Salzburg in Philadelphia on Thursday, looking to seal top spot in their final Group H match, but will be without Mbappe.

READ ALSO:Mbappe To Miss Real Madrid Copa Clash Against Real Sociedad

The French superstar was not named as part of the squad to take on Salzburg as he continues his recovery from a stomach bug.

Mbappe missed the team’s first two matches but returned to training on Wednesday.

“I was happy to see him on the (training) pitch, it was the first day he’s got his boots back on and has been running, he’s doing well, but not enough to play tomorrow with the level that we need,” said Alonso.

“He said it himself when we spoke after training, he prefers to be ready for the last 16, he’s in the recovery process, he wasn’t perfect for tomorrow.”

READ ALSO:Mbappe Scores Double As Real Madrid Wave Goodbye To Ancelotti, Modric

In Madrid’s second match, a 3-1 win over Mexican side Pachuca, Brazilian forward Rodrygo was left on the bench, amid speculation he could depart the club this summer.

However Alonso said the Brazilian was still a valuable member of the team.

“He’s doing well, he’s enthusiastic, it was a technical decision (to bench him) the other day, but Rodrygo is still an important player, we will need him in this Club World Cup,” said Alonso.

“He’s a special player and he will have a big role at this tournament.”

Lazio winger Pedro has thrown his full support behind Barcelona’s Pedri in the race for the 2025 Ballon d’Or, overlooking high-profile contenders like Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele.

The former Chelsea and Barcelona star made his preference clear during an interview with El Día de Tenerife (via Barca Blaugranes), stating that Pedri deserves the prestigious award following his outstanding 2024/25 season with Barcelona.

“Of course I’d give Pedri the maximum score,” Pedro said.

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“Then Lamine Yamal. And perhaps other candidates who are there are Dembélé or Raphinha, but I’d love for Pedri to win. For me there is no doubt: he’s the best in his position in the entire world.”

Pedri Will Be up against strong competition for the Ballon d’Or, including teammates Raphinha and Yamal, as well as other top players like Mohamed Salah and Dembele.

Despite this, Pedro’s endorsement highlights the midfielder’s growing stature in world football.

Paris Saint-Germain and Botafogo have secured their spots in the Round of 16 of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, after a dramatic final round of group-stage matches played simultaneously on Monday.

In a high-stakes encounter, PSG recorded a 2-0 victory over Major League Soccer champions Seattle Sounders to finish with six points.

Atletico Madrid, despite defeating Botafogo 1-0 in their final group match, were eliminated due to inferior goal difference.

All three sides: PSG, Botafogo, and Atletico: ended the group stage with six points apiece, but Atletico’s earlier 4-0 defeat to PSG proved costly, leaving them with a goal difference of -1 compared to PSG’s +4 and Botafogo’s +1.

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The results mean PSG top the group, while Botafogo join them in the knockout stage. Atletico Madrid, meanwhile, exit the tournament at the group stage: a harsh ending after winning two of their three matches.

The revamped FIFA Club World Cup sees the top two teams from each of the eight groups progress to the Round of 16, which will be held from 28 June to 1 July.

The winners will proceed to the quarter-finals on 4 and 5 July, followed by the semi-finals on 8 and 9 July, and the grand finale on 13 July at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

With eight teams already confirmed, fans can look forward to heavyweight matchups as club football’s finest prepare to battle for global supremacy.

Qualified Teams for Round of 16 (so far):

Bayern Munich (Germany)
CR Flamengo (Brazil)
Juventus (Italy)
Manchester City (England)
Botafogo (Brazil)
Paris Saint-Germain (France)
Palmeiras (Brazil)
Inter Miami (USA)
Eight more teams will join them in the coming days as the group stage wraps up.