Real Madrid meets Mexican club Pachuca in the final of the watered-down Intercontinental Cup on Wednesday, with Kylian Mbappé expected to be available to play for the Spanish powerhouse after nursing a left-thigh injury.

The tournament — being played in a new format after FIFA expanded the Club World Cup for 2025 — brings together the champions of all six soccer confederations. It takes place every year while the bigger Club World Cup will happen every four years.

Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal is expected to be sidelined for three to four weeks because of an ankle injury, the club said Monday.

Barcelona said the 17-year-old Yamal has a grade-one injury to his right ankle. He sustained the injury in the team's 1-0 loss to Leganes at home in the Spanish league on Sunday, when he had to be replaced in the 75th minute.

Real Madrid was held at Rayo Vallecano to 3-3 in a thrilling derby on Saturday, missing a chance to overtake Barcelona at the top of La Liga.

Rayo set a fast pace and stunned the powerhouse with two headed goals from Unai López and Abdul Mumin to lead 2-0 by the 36th minute.

Kylian Mbappé will miss one Spanish league game with a leg injury but Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti hopes his striker will recover from in time to play the Intercontinental Cup final next week.

Ancelotti said Friday that the left-thigh injury that Mbappé sustained this week will rule him out of Saturday's La Liga match at Rayo Vallecano.

Draw made Friday by FIFA for European qualifying groups for the 2026 World Cup:

Group A: Germany or Italy (winner of Nations League QF), Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg.

Kylian Mbappé has injured his left thigh and will likely be sidelined for an undetermined period of time, Real Madrid said on Thursday.

The club did not specify the nature of the injury nor how long Mbappé will be out, saying "his progress will be monitored."

Cristiano Ronaldo led the celebrations after Portugal and five other countries were officially announced as hosts of the 2030 men's World Cup on Wednesday, with the player saying the unique tournament will be the "most special" yet.

The 2030 tournament will be the first World Cup played in six different counties, with Spain, Portugal and Morocco as the main hosts while South American nations Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay will each get one game. The format will help FIFA mark the centenary of Uruguay hosting the first World Cup in 1930.

Saudi Arabia has been officially confirmed by FIFA as host of the 2034 World Cup in men’s football.

The Saudi bid was the only candidate and was acclaimed by the applause of more than 200 FIFA member federations. They took part remotely in an online meeting hosted in Zurich on Wednesday by the soccer body’s president Gianni Infantino.

Pep Guardiola has given a clear indication of his plans after Manchester City, saying he would not want to start again at another club.

The Catalan has just signed a two-year extension to his City contract through to 2027 and said international management is a possibility when he leaves the four-time defending Premier League champion.

Real Madrid's big stars turned on the style to revive the Spanish giant's faltering Champions League title defense on Tuesday.

Galacticos Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham all scored in a thrilling 3-2 win at Italian league leader Atalanta. But Madrid still had to ride its luck as Mateo Retegui fired over from in front of goal in stoppage time when handed a golden chance to level the game.