Xabi Alonso Reveals Truth Behind Rodrygo's Limited Club World Cup Playing Time

Real Madrid's head coach Xabi Alonso has reiterated his justification for leaving Rodrygo on the bench during their Club World Cup semifinal loss against Paris Saint-Germain.

Throughout the competition, Rodrygo only made one start, which came in the initial match that ended in a draw against Al Hilal. He came on as a substitute in two other games for a total of 27 minutes and remained unused as Madrid suffered a crushing 4–0 defeat to the European titleholders on Wednesday.

With questions surrounding his position under Alonso's management, Rodrygo has attracted considerable attention from potential buyers. Arsenal have shown strong interest, while Manchester City and PSG have also been mentioned as possible destinations for the Brazilian player.

Although Alonso is said to be willing to consider offers for Rodrygo, he has consistently expressed his backing for the 24-year-old throughout this summer period.

"His absence from the lineup is determined on a match-to-match basis," Alonso explained. "Given how events unfolded, we required a different type of player. No long-term decisions regarding personnel have been made during this tournament; our rotation has been minimal."

Only six Madrid squad members received less playing time this summer than Rodrygo, including the recovering injured pair Dani Carvajal and Éder Militão, along with academy prospects Jacobo Ramon and Víctor Muñoz.

Justifying his conservative approach to team changes, Alonso stated: "Our goal is to develop a cohesive unit that functions together while preserving that connection and team spirit. The Club World Cup has been extremely challenging; exiting at the semifinal stage is painful, and we'll assess our next steps."

Madrid reportedly want more than €80 million (£69 million, $93.8 million) to release Rodrygo, whose current deal with the Santiago Bernabéu runs through 2028.