Things were not looking good for Real Madrid C. F.. The clock had barely started ticking when they found themselves a man down against CF Pachuca in their second FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ match.
After Raul Asencio saw red in the seventh minute, the Mexicans had success hitting long balls up to John Kennedy and hulking forward Salomon Rondon, forcing goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois into making several big saves.
But in a blink, the Spanish giants swung the momentum firmly their way, thanks in large part to Fran Garcia. With Madrid in possession in their own half, just shy of midfield, the young left-back noticed a gap left by the Pachuca defence and immediately turned on the jets.
Gonzalo Garcia received a ball from Federico Valverde and gently flicked a pass into the path of the steamrolling Fran. From there, all Fran had to do was tee it up for England superstar Jude Bellingham, and Madrid never looked back after that.
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“It is a play that I often feel comfortable doing in that position,” Fran said to FIFA. “When the striker comes to receive [the ball], I see that I have space in front of me, and then I see that Jude starts his run and at the end I try to leave it for him as best as possible. He did the rest, which is not easy. But that first goal, there was a feeling of relief.”
The 3-1 win also marked the first in the tenure of new coach Xabi Alonso. There were plenty of Madrid fans sounding the alarm bells after the club’s opening 1-1 draw with Al Hilal, but Fran preached patience as they move forward in the competition.
“It is good to get off on the right foot, get things turned the way in which the fans want, which is quickly,” said Fran. “But I think everything has a process. You have to be calm and provide confidence to everyone who is here, so that you can have that feeling of change and evolution that everyone is seeking.”
Overcoming the hurdle of the man disadvantage might just be the catalyst that fires Real Madrid forward, beginning with their pivotal group finale with FC Salzburg on Thursday.
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“It was a tough match being left with ten men until the end,” said Fran. “That changed the plan a little, but I think it reflects what we always intend to do, which is to give the best for our team-mates, try to stay together and go all in unison. This is the first victory in this tournament, and may it be the first of many to continue to give joy to all the Madrid fans.”
