With their team languishing eight points behind Barcelona in La Liga with a Clasico to come before Christmas - and facing the threat of billionaires Paris St-Germain in the Champions League knockouts in the New Year - it would easy to forgive Real Madrid fans for not quite being in the festive mood.
However, Madridistas can be buoyed by their team’s 5-0 destruction of Sevilla at the weekend and Cristiano Ronaldo’s record-equalling fifth Ballon d’Or award.
Real arrived in 25-degree Abu Dhabi late on Sunday night for the defence of their FIFA Club World Cup title which begins on Wednesday.