After losing to Paris Saint-Germain in the 2025 Club World Cup semi-final, Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso admitted that although the defeat was painful, it also provided valuable experience for the team's future.

At the press conference after the game, Alonso said: "The first ten minutes of the game were very difficult for us. Paris Saint-Germain is a mature team that has been running in for many years, and we have just entered a new stage."

"We were not able to fully commit ourselves on the field and suffered two consecutive heavy blows, which completely disrupted the rhythm of the game. Especially losing the third goal before the end of the first half was a big blow."

Although Real Madrid was passive on the field, Alonso did not attribute the defeat to lack of courage, but saw a deeper problem: "It's not that you want to play braver, and your performance will definitely be better. We need to relax our minds and find the rhythm. This is the process required for growth."

Regarding the team's current position, Alonso said frankly: "Today's performance was indeed not good enough. We stopped in the semi-finals. This is a reality and it hurts. But I am more concerned about the room for improvement rather than the distance between us and Paris Saint-Germain."

"We will draw positive experience from this Club World Cup and learn from our mistakes. As long as we don't repeat the same mistakes, it will be worth it. This game made me more aware of the team's current state and areas that need improvement."

"We will welcome back some injured players next season and make some adjustments. This is not an end, but the beginning of laying the foundation for a brand new season."

Alonso stressed that the goal is to build a team that fights as a whole and everyone participates, and use this as a blueprint to move to a higher level of competition.