Al Hilal defender Kalidou Koulibaly challenged Real Madrid in the 2025 Club World Cup, asserting that his team is capable of defeating any opponent, regardless of their name.
The Blue Wave will open their Club World Cup campaign against Real Madrid, before facing Mexico’s Pachuca and Austria’s Red Bull Salzburg in the remaining first-round matches.
Commenting on Al Hilal’s participation in the World Cup, Koulibaly said, “We didn’t perform as we should last season, so we have to correct our path through the World Cup. We have a distinguished group of players who have achieved many successes and championships.”
He added, “We can beat any team. We are preparing in the best possible way for the Real Madrid match, and we will do our best to please the fans. I promise them that we will give 200% during the Club World Cup.”
He concluded, “It’s true that the timeframe to prepare for the first match is very short, but we have a good team and a great group with a new coach. We will do everything we can to perform at our best.”
It’s worth noting that Al Hilal failed to win any trophies last season, leading to the dismissal of coach Jorge Jesus and the appointment of Simone Inzaghi just a week ago. His first task will be complicated against Real Madrid, led by Xabi Alonso.
