Five things we’ve already learned about Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid

Real Madrid reached the semifinals of the Club World Cup, in what was Xabi Alonso’s first tournament since taking over the job.

Real Madrid went deep in the 2025 Club World Cup, topping a group that contained Al-Hilal, Pachuca and RB Salzburg, before defeating Juventus and Borussia Dortmund in the knockout rounds.

They ultimately fell to PSG in the semifinals, but all in all it was an impressive debut tournament for new coach Xabi Alonso. Now, as the dust settles, let’s take a look at five things we learned from Los Blancos’ performances.

XABI ALONSO NOT AFRAID TO MIX IT UP

It was rare for Real Madrid to move away from the 4-3-3 under Carlo Ancelotti, but now fans can expect a lot more tactical variation under Xabi Alonso. The Spanish tactician said it himself, “We don't have a fixed system that I obsess over and refuse to change, as we must always be dynamic and flexible, able to adapt to different situations.”

His actions backed up his words, as the Spanish side used several different formations during the tournament in the United States, some with a back three and some with a back four.

TCHOUAMENI COULD BE THE PILLAR OF HIS TEAM

Whatever the formation, it seems likely that Aurélien Tchouaméni will have an important role in the middle of the park. The Frenchman played all but five minutes of Real Madrid’s games in the Club World Cup, and received a lot of praise from his new coach. 

Able to drop deep into the back line at times and able to join the attack as well, Tchouaméni covered a lot of ground and seems poised to have a strong season.

PSG 🆚 Real Madrid#FIFACWC pic.twitter.com/95R6DtGxG0

— Fifa Club World Cup (@FIFACWC) July 10, 2025

FULL-BACKS MORE INVOLVED IN ATTACK

Last season, Real Madrid’s starting right-back and left-back entering the season were Dani Carvajal and Ferland Mendy, both defence-first full-backs. With the arrival of Trent Alexander-Arnold and with Fran García playing every minute at the Club World Cup, it seems Los Blancos will be getting a lot more offensive output from their full-backs in 2025/26.

It’s not just a matter of personnel, as the style of play has changed too to involve the full-backs in the final third much more, especially with overlapping runs towards the byline.

PROMISING NEW SIGNING

Real Madrid fans were excited to see how new signings Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold would do in this tournament, and both played very well at different points. In fact, it is telling that the team’s defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinals came with the Spain and England internationals both unavailable, due to suspension and injury respectively.

When the new season begins, both these summer signings can expect to be heavily involved, having already impressed in the United States.

GARCIA HAS A ROLE TO PLAY

One of the breakout stars of the tournament was Real Madrid centre-forward Gonzalo García, who scored four goals in six appearances, earning the competition’s golden boot. The 21-year-old had only made six appearances for the first team before this tournament in the United States, but doubled his appearance tally under Xabi Alonso.

The new coach even compared the young striker to Raúl, praising his positioning and work ethic. We can expect to see Gonzalo earning minutes during the 2025/26 campaign.