Real Madrid’s rising star Gonzalo Garcia has described his experience at the Club World Cup as a “dream,” after continuing his impressive scoring run and drawing early comparisons to club icon Raul.
The 21-year-old forward has netted four goals in five appearances for Madrid, including a key strike in their 3-2 quarter-final victory over Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.
Gonzalo currently shares the top spot in the Golden Boot race with Al Hilal’s Marcos Leonardo and Benfica’s Angel Di María, all of whom have four goals in the tournament.
Madrid supporters have been eager for a homegrown attacking talent to rise since Raul’s legendary emergence in the 1990s.
The former captain scored 323 goals in 741 matches before being overtaken in the club’s all-time scoring charts by Cristiano Ronaldo and later Karim Benzema.
Having made his mark with Madrid’s Castilla squad, Gonzalo is now looking to prove he’s worthy of the Raul comparisons as he makes the leap under manager Xabi Alonso.
He said: “They [fans] are comparing me with Raul, a legend. If I can do half of what he did in this shirt then it will be more than a dream.
“I have been working, waiting for a chance, but not in my dreams would I have thought of this.
Gonzalo Garcia can’t be stopped 😤
(via @DAZNFootball)pic.twitter.com/pz5MhWX6jb
— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 5, 2025
“I don’t feel a lot of pressure. I have been working and waiting for this moment.
“The coach, the players, the staff all give me a lot of confidence. Kylian [Mbappe] is… almost … let’s say the best player in the world. I feel so lucky to share a pitch and training with him, to learn from him.”
Gonzalo’s performances have helped Madrid reach the final four of the Club World Cup, but their journey hasn’t been without concern. In the win over Dortmund, Madrid nearly let their lead slip after conceding two late goals.
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois expressed the need for improvement ahead of their semifinal clash against the reigning Champions League winners, PSG, which will take place Wednesday in New Jersey.
“We have to analyse our game and then we will work for the next game,” Courtois said. “PSG are a great opponent, current Champions League winners and they had a great season.
“It will be a hard game, they like possession and they press well, so we will have to be prepared.
“The team is doing well. We press well, defend well, attack well. Sometimes we need more possession to kill the game. That is what we have to do better.
“We are getting better every game, learning more from the coach, putting what he wants in the game. It doesn’t always happen, but we are getting better.”
