FIFA Club World Cup: Xabi Alonso Explains Why PSG beat Real Madrid 4-0

Real Madrid manager, Xabi Alonso, has reflected on his side’s 4–0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup on Wednesday night, admitting that repeated defensive lapses cost his team dearly.

PSG dominated the match with goals from Fabian Ruiz (who netted twice), Ousmane Dembélé, and Gonçalo Ramos, securing a convincing win and eliminating Real Madrid from the tournament.

Speaking in his post-match interview, Alonso praised PSG’s performance but acknowledged that his side made avoidable errors, particularly in the lead-up to the third goal, which he said shattered any hopes of a comeback.

“We need to stop repeating the same mistakes. It is not smart,” Alonso said. “We suffered a lot today, like others have already suffered PSG this season. They are an incredible team.”

“If we finished the first half 2-0, it would’ve been possible to come back. But the third goal killed us,” he added.

With the loss, Real Madrid bow out of the competition and will now shift their focus to pre-season preparations ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.