Florentino Pérez, president of Real Madrid, showed up this Friday at the club’s training ground in Valdebebas to give his support to the new coaching staff led by Xabi Alonso and the first-team players, just before they head to the United States this Saturday. The Spanish giants are gearing up for a huge challenge in the 2025 Club World Cup, set to take place on American soil.

Final touches before takeoff

The squad held their second-to-last training session in Madrid ahead of their flight to Miami, where they’ll kick off the tournament on Wednesday, June 18 against Al-Hilal at the Hard Rock Stadium (9:00 PM Spanish time / 3:00 PM local time). Friday’s session marked the return of the international players and the official integration of the club’s new signings, Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

During his visit, Florentino Pérez greeted each player one by one, paying extra attention to the newcomers. Both Huijsen and Alexander-Arnold experienced their first official training day as Real Madrid players, receiving warm welcomes and encouragement from the president himself.

A boost for the key players

Florentino also shared some friendly words with key figures like Kylian Mbappé, who’s about to play in his first major tournament with the club, and Luka Modrić, now entering what could be his final chapter as a Madrid player. His visit right before the team’s departure underlined the club’s full backing of Xabi Alonso’s new project.

Although Florentino won’t be part of the official delegation flying out this Saturday from Madrid-Barajas Airport, he does plan to travel to the United States later on to be with the team during the tournament, which is expected to last about a month.

With nearly the entire squad ready and morale running high, Real Madrid is looking to reaffirm its dominance on the world stage. The opener against the Saudi side will mark the start of another big-time international challenge for the Spanish powerhouse.