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Mark OgdenJul 6, 2025, 11:52 AM ET
Real Madrid guardant Gonzalo García said helium is simply a surviving a "dream" astatine the FIFA Club World Cup aft earning comparisons to the club's legendary erstwhile striker, Raúl, with 4 goals successful 5 games for Los Blancos.
Gonzalo, 21, is tied with Al Hilal's Marcos Leonardo and Benfica winger Ángel Di María successful the contention for the Club World Cup Golden Boot aft his first-half extremity successful Saturday's 3-2 quarterfinal triumph against Borussia Dortmund acceptable up a semifinal clash against Paris Saint-Germain.
Madrid person struggled to make a homegrown goalscorer since Raúl emerged successful the 1990s earlier scoring 323 goals successful 741 games -- a nine grounds until his tally was surpassed by Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.
Gonzalo a prolific scorer with Madrid's B squad Castilla, said helium is present determined to warrant the Raúl comparisons with much goals for Xabi Alonso's team.
"They [fans] are comparing maine with Raúl, a legend," Gonzalo told reporters. "If I tin bash fractional of what helium did successful this garment past it volition beryllium much than a dream.
"I person been working, waiting for a chance, but not successful my dreams would I person thought of this.
"I don't consciousness a batch of pressure. I person been moving and waiting for this moment.
"The coach, the players, the unit each springiness maine a batch of confidence. Kylian [Mbappé] is... astir ... let's accidental the champion subordinate successful the world. I consciousness truthful fortunate to stock a transportation and grooming with him, to larn from him."
Madrid look PSG successful Wednesday's semifinal successful New Jersey having been replaced arsenic European champions by the Champions League winners.
Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said the squad indispensable beryllium amended prepared to look the French squad aft conceding 2 precocious goals successful the quarterfinal triumph against Dortmund.
"We person to analyse our crippled and past we volition enactment for the adjacent game," helium said. "PSG are a large opponent, existent Champions League winners and they had a large season.
"It volition beryllium a hard game, they similar possession and they property well, truthful we volition person to beryllium prepared.
"The squad is doing well. We property well, support well, onslaught well. Sometimes we request much possession to termination the game. That is what we person to bash better.
"We are getting amended each game, learning much from the coach, putting what helium wants successful the game. It doesn't ever happen, but we are getting better."
