Real Madrid missed all scheduled pre-match media activities on Tuesday ahead of their FIFA Club World Cup semi-final clash against Paris Saint-Germain, due to a weather-related flight delay. The Spanish giants had been expected to land in New York well before their evening obligations, but were held up in Miami due to storms in the region.
Coach Xabi Alonso was scheduled to hold a press conference at 7:30 p.m. local time at MetLife Stadium, followed by a mixed zone interview with players Thibaut Courtois, Federico Valverde, and Jacobo Ramón. However, their 4:00 p.m. flight from Miami was delayed for over an hour. By 7:28 p.m., a club source informed The Athletic that the team was still airborne. Six minutes later, FIFA officially cancelled all Real Madrid press activities for the evening. The team landed in New York at 8:52 p.m.
PSG coach Luis Enrique was visibly surprised when informed of Alonso’s absence. “He’s not coming?! Really?!” he exclaimed, before adding, “It doesn’t change anything to me. I didn’t know about the flight, I hope they can arrive normally.”
Real Madrid unlikely to face any sanction
Initially, Madrid had planned to remain in New York after their quarterfinal win over Borussia Dortmund, but later opted to return to their Palm Beach, Florida base, where they had made significant investments to prepare for the semifinal.
Meanwhile, FIFA regulations for the Club World Cup clearly mandate participation in official media events. Sections 4.3(e) and 4.5 of the competition guidelines require clubs to attend all media and marketing activities organised by FIFA, including press conferences and promotional events.
While FIFA has not yet issued a comment or clarification regarding any potential disciplinary action, a Real Madrid spokesperson indicated the club does not expect to face fines or sanctions for the missed obligations, citing the delay as a weather-related circumstance beyond their control. The situation raises questions about potential flexibility in FIFA’s enforcement of its media rules in the face of unforeseen travel disruptions.
