Real Madrid hero Marcelo provides clear preference on team that Los Blancos must face in ‘epic’ Club World Cup final

Real Madrid icon Marcelo wishes for Los Blancos to face Brazilian outfit Fluminense in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup. The retired 37-year-old played for both clubs during his illustrious career.

He progressed through the youth setup at Fluminense and then joined the Madrid-based outfit in the summer of 2007. After 16 long years away from Brazil, Marcelo returned to Fluminense, where he would end his career.

Now, Real Madrid are set to take on Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-final of the Club World Cup. Meanwhile, the Brazilian team will face Chelsea in the final four of this competition.

Wishing for his two former sides to meet in the final, the ex-defender wrote on his X account (formerly Twitter):

"Let's go MI Madrid!!! A Real Madrid vs Fluminense final would be epicIt would be a dream come true."

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Of course, Marcelo's most successful moments came at the Santiago Bernabeu, where he made 546 appearances across competitions, bagging 38 goals and 103 assists. He won five UEFA Champions League trophies and six La Liga titles, among other honors in the Spanish capital.

Meanwhile, the former left-back made 107 senior appearances for Fluminense, netting 11 times and bagging five assists across competitions.

Real Madrid star shares feelings after Diogo Jota's tragic death

Real Madrid right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold shared his thoughts following ex-Liverpool teammate Diogo Jota's tragic death in a car crash in Spain. Speaking to DAZN, the Englishman said (via BBC Sport):

"I shared the dressing room with him for five years - amazing memories on and off the pitch. It goes without saying he will never be forgotten by anyone. He will live long in all our memories for the amazing man and the player he was."

"I've been around him, his brother, his family, his amazing wife, his amazing parents and his amazing children. It's truly, truly heartbreaking to wake up to news like that. "It's something you never expect."

Jota and Alexander-Arnold were together at Liverpool since the former moved to Merseyside in the summer of 2020. Until the right-back departed for Real Madrid this summer, the pair played 145 matches across competitions with one another, bagging 10 joint goal contributions.

Jota was with the Reds when this incident took place. He made 182 appearances across competitions at Liverpool, bagging 65 goals and 26 assists. The Portuguese attacker won the Premier League and the FA Cup once, among other honors with the side.

About the author

Rahul has been a European football journalist for Sportskeeda since 2023. A B.B.A. L.L.B. graduate, he captained his university football team and also played for Boca Juniors Football School during his initial years, and also coached his university's girls team. He always aims to translate his tactical awareness, knowledge of the sport and first-hand experience into well-researched articles for his readers.

A follower of the beautiful game since 2014, Rahul is an avid Arsenal and a match-going Bengaluru FC fan. His favorite footballer is Mesut Ozil due to his love for nimble-footed playmakers, while his favorite manager is the legendary Arsene Wenger owing to the Frenchman's attractive style of football.

Rahul, whose favorite FIFA World Cup moment is Lionel Messi lifting the trophy in 2022, has interviewed grassroots expert Tom Byer in the past and gained insight into Japanese football. He also believes Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland can rule the footballing world and take Ronaldo and Messi's place.

When he is not writing, Rahul likes to spend his time playing football, following the Indian Super League and watching other sports. He is also a huge cricket fan and supports Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

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Edited by Rahul Naresh