Alonso undecided on Garcia role
Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso revealed he has not decided whether Gonzalo Garcia will be in his first-team squad for next season.
Garcia has scored three important goals at the Club World Cup, including the winner in the last 16 against Juventus, and registered one assist. He is the only player to directly contribute to a goal in all of his team's matches in the competition.
Only Michael Olise (five) has directly contributed to more goals at the competition, while Angel Di Maria leads the tournament's scoring charts, with four.
Garcia’s shot conversion rate is also the joint-highest from players who have taken at least nine shots, alongside Kenan Yildiz.
The 22 year-old striker has started all four of Madrid’s Club World Cup games after Kylian Mbappe fell ill ahead of the opening match.
With the French star returning, Garcia’s place in the first team will be on Alonso’s mind ahead of the 2025-2026 season.
"Today we are thinking about the World Cup," Alonso said. "There will be time. I knew him well, I didn't expect him to score three goals in four games, I won't say that either, but I knew his pressure and his work and on top of that scoring goals. I trusted him and he is earning that trust."
Madrid beat Juventus 1-0 to set up a quarter-final tie against Borussia Dortmund, with a potential semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich on the cards.
Alonso is happy with the progress his side is making but still wants more cohesion between his players, specifically Trent Alexander-Arnold.
"At the beginning with [Aurelien] Tchouameni sunk, we had too many people behind the ball," Alonso said. "They have changed the approach and we had one to spare. It's about moving pieces and I think we got it right today.
“Once we progress, we have to be brave. We haven't had too much time, but we're looking at things and making adjustments."
