Vinicius Junior and Federico Valverde scored for Madrid in the first half during the match in Philadelphia on Thursday.
Gonzalo Garcia netted the third goal in the 84th minute for Madrid, following a sequence of multi-goal wins after an opening draw against Al Hilal.
This result eliminated Salzburg, who were surpassed in Group H standings by Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal, after their 2-0 win against Mexico’s Pachuca.
Earlier, Manchester City defeated Juventus 5-2 and, as Group H winners, will next meet Al Hilal.
The loss to Madrid was Salzburg’s second defeat to the Spanish team in 2025, following a 5-1 loss in Spain during the UEFA Champions League.
Madrid, five-time winners, were efficient rather than dominant, with both teams having 12 shots and Madrid’s four on-goal attempts only one more than Salzburg’s three.
Madrid once again played without Kylian Mbappe due to his ongoing stomach illness.
Vinicius Junior’s performance, including two significant plays within a five-minute span, helped compensate for Mbappe’s absence.
Vinicius Junior’s performance included crucial plays, such as a 40th-minute goal and an assist to Valverde in the 45th minute, and Bellingham’s critical block to deny Salzburg in the 66th minute.
Real Madrid will play Juventus in Miami on Tuesday, while Manchester City will face Al Hilal in Orlando on Monday in their round of 16 matches.
