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CWC Semis: Will Mbappe Start?

Jul 09, 2025

Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso has a major selection dilemma ahead of tomorrow morning's Club World Cup semifinal against PSG.  

Alonso has to decide on whether to give star attacker Kylian Mbappe his first start of the tournament, following his recent hospitalisation.  

However, doing so would come at the cost of youngster Gonzalo García, who has scored 4 goals in 5 matches in the competition.  

The winner will go on to face Chelsea in the final, after the Blues defeated Flumense 2-0 this morning.  

Meanwhile, Chelsea's Moises Caicedo will be an injury doubt for the final, after the midfielder suffered a suspected ankle injury this morning.  

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Also, an environmental group has warned that next year's World Cup could be the most environmentally unfriendly competition in the tournament's history. 

It says the decision to expand the World Cup to 48 teams, and host the matches in the US, Canada and Mexico will lead to a huge spike in carbon emissions. 

It's due to a greater reliance on air travel and a significant increase in the number of matches.  

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