FIFA president Gianni Infantino said his revamped Club World Cup would come to represent a “big bang” in football, where the world’s best players and teams compete to determine the best club in the world.
However, one of the biggest stars slated to participate at this summer’s tournament has played no more than a peripheral role. A nasty bout of gastroenteritis meant Kylian Mbappé didn’t feature at all during Real Madrid’s opening three games.
His first appearance came off the bench against Juventus in the round of 16, before he announced himself to the competition with a stunning acrobatic finish late on against Borussia Dortmund to help Los Blancos reach the semifinals.
“Good way to show that I feel better now…” Mbappé captioned an Instagram post after the event, leading with a snap of his strike beyond Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel. The Frenchman has staked his claim to be involved from the outset against European champions Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, but will Xabi Alonso change tack?
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