Winning the Champions League means participating in the FIFA Club World Cup. At the end of each calendar year, the best teams from each continent come together for a tournament, hosted in Japan.
While those in South America see the competition as a real opportunity for success, European teams often see it as a burden and an unnecessary distraction from their league form. Thanks to May’s victory over city rivals Atletico Madrid, clinching a record eleventh European title, it is Real Madrid’s turn to make the trip to Asia.
Spanish football doesn’t contain the same intense schedule as in England, but Los Blancos will be far from pleased that the chasing pack in LaLiga have a chance to close the six-point gap at the top of the table.
Nevertheless, Zinedine Zidane has selected a strong squad ahead of Thursday’s semi final, as the Frenchman looks to cement more success for the club. That isn’t to say some players won’t see this a chance to impress.
Here are five players who will use the Club World Cup as a platform to stake a claim in the Real Madrid first team.