Real Madrid vs. RB Salzburg odds, live stream: Will Kylian Mbappe play, how to watch Club World Cup, pick

The Frenchman was hospitalized early on and has yet to play, and he won't be featuring on Thursday

By Chuck Booth

Jun 25, 2025 at 11:11 pm ET • 3 min read

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As the group stage of the Club World Cup comes to a close, Real Madrid will prepare to face RB Salzburg on Thursday without having their spot in the last 16 confirmed. A victory on Thursday in Philadelphia will see them through as group winners, while a draw could be enough depending on how Al-Hilal vs. Pachuca finishes. But new manager Xabi Alonso will be without a key member of the Madrid squad for this match as striker Kylian Mbappe won't play.

During the group stage, Mbappe had to spend time in the hospital with acute gastroenteritis. He was released almost a week ago now and has returned to training, but in these games where heat has been a factor, it's better to take things slowly with the Frenchman. There's a chance that he could be available for the round of 16 but it's about taking it slowly right now.

"I was glad to see him on the pitch but it's the first time he was running around, but he's not fully recovered yet. He still has a weak spot in order to play [Thursday], at least at the competitive level that we'll need him," Alonso said. "After the training session, we were talking and he hopes to have an improved recovery if we make it to the round of 16. He hopes he'll be available, but he's still in the recovery process. He's not yet at 100 for next time."

He'll be critical for Real Madrid moving forward, and they'll need him in the knockouts of the tournament. In his debut season for Real Madrid, Mbappe scored 40 goals and assisted four more in all competitions. With the season lacking silverware, this tournament is a chance to close things out on a strong note before going into the offseason.

This will likely lead to young striker Gonzalo Garcia starting the third consecutive match for Los Blancos during this tournament. With a goal and an assist in his first two matches, the 21-year-old has made an impact despite only featuring in four matches in all competitions prior to this tournament. As Alonso is getting a better feel for his squad, he has had a chance to look at members of the Real Madrid youth setup, including Garcia. It has been interesting that Rodrygo hasn't gotten a chance as a false nine without Mbappe, but with rumors that the Brazilian could be on the way out of the club, Alonso could be seeing what his other options are.

Predicted lineups

RB Salzburg: Christian Zawieschitzky, Stefan Lainer, Joane Gadou, Jacob Rasmussen, Frans Kratzig, Mads Bidstrup, Soumaila Diabate, Nene Dorgeles, Oscar Gloukh, Edmund Baidoo, Karim Onisiwo

Real Madrid: Thibaut Courtois, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rudiger, Dean Huijsen, Fran Garcia, Arda Guler, Aurelien Tchouameni, Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, Gonzalo Garcia, Vinicius Junior