Trump's presence at Chelsea's trophy lift was a fitting coda to a misguided tournament
And so we were presented with a grimly perfect image of this misguided tournament, a celebrating football team struggling to be seen from behind the politicians who took centre stage. The confusion of Cole Palmer and Reece James at Trump's continued presence was clear. History, and not just football history, will not forget such shameless grandstanding, or Fifa's complicity in allowing football to be hijacked by a national leader.
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Related: From Palmer and domes to Musiala and turf: Club World Cup winners and losers
It was a day the ramifications of which will be sifted for years. As a footballing spectacle, it was remarkable, a game in which Palmer produced a performance to elevate him to global stardom, in which Robert Sánchez did much to quiet his many critics, in which Enzo Maresca announced himself as a tactician of the highest rank.
There had been plenty of intrigue earlier in the tournament – Al-Hilal's last-16 victory over Manchester City and Real Madrid's capitulation in the semi-final perhaps most notably – but they had always been undercut by doubts as to how seriously each side was taking it. But PSG's determination to add the world title to the Champions League crown they won in May was obvious and, in the final, they were outplayed to a startling degree.
Luis Enrique's side had essentially been untouchable since the turn of the year, not just winning games but looking sharper than opponents, on another tactical level. They had outclassed Madrid in the semi-final to the extent that the game was done within 20 minutes. Yet the final was lost by half-time as their left flank was repeatedly over-run. Khvicha Khvaratskelia, whose defensive work is usually so striking, didn't make a single tackle or interception (PSG's front three as a whole managed just one regain between them) and Fabián Ruiz was bypassed so that Nuno Mendes, who for a year has seemed obviously the best left-back in the world, was repeatedly exposed, sometimes to Malo Gusto but sometimes, more dangerously, to Palmer.
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Related: Club World Cup dismissed as a Fifa 'fiction' by head of players' union
Palmer produced one of the great final performances, scoring the first with a great finish, the second with a great finish after a dummied pass of almost comical effectiveness and then setting up the third with a barrelling run and perfectly calibrated pass for João Pedro. Perhaps PSG were disadvantaged by having played in the second semi-final; perhaps in the extreme heat an extra 24 hours of rest makes a huge difference. Still, it's been a long time since anybody has taken Luis Enrique's PSG apart like that – even if it took two exceptional saves from Sánchez to prevent PSG getting a second-half goal that might have made the denouement more anxious than it was.
There have been plenty who have doubted Maresca's tactical approach, his apparent over-caution, his obsession with avoiding risk. But on Sunday, he clearly got the gameplan right. Using Pedro Neto as an auxiliary wing-back helped negate the forward surges of Achraf Hakimi but it was on the other flank, the way space was created for Palmer, that the game was won. These were moments that will define careers and, in so doing, offer legitimacy and prestige to the Club World Cup. As world champions, after a performance like that, with a squad of such depth, Chelsea have to be considered serious contenders for the Premier League title.
But in the end, the football seemed an afterthought. There is always something uncomfortable to the European mind in the militarism of US sporting fanfare (which has begun, regrettably, to seep into the FA Cup final). Why was the Star-Spangled Banner played before kick-off? When has the host's anthem ever previously been played like that at a Fifa event? Why was there a fly-over of military planes?
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By the trophy presentation, that had become something much more sinister.
Was the US hosting football, or was football hosting the US? Or rather a particular vision of the US represented by Trump? Fifa has just opened offices in Trump Tower: Infantino's alliance with the president is both committed and alarming. And having pushed through his vision of the Club World Cup with all its flaws without meaningful consultation, what next for Fifa? Checks and balances simply don't apply any more.
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Boston Globe
29 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
A lot has changed for Red Sox All-Star Garrett Crochet over the past year, and he's thankful for it
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Fox Sports
an hour ago
- Fox Sports
The Final Before the Final: What the Club World Cup Told Us About 2026
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — It's hard to cut through the clutter in America's greatest metropolis, but one of soccer's biggest summer events did take a super-sized bite out of the Big Apple. Passengers streamed off planes at LaGuardia Airport wearing Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain jerseys. Outside the swanky midtown Manhattan hotels that housed the FIFA Club World Cup finalists, fans dressed head to toe in their team's colors crowded on the sidewalks, hoping to catch a glimpse of Cole Palmer or Ousmane Dembele. At MetLife Stadium, a few miles west of the Hudson River, three military helicopters roared overhead — one of them carrying Donald Trump, who became the first sitting American president ever to attend a major international soccer match. It was a preview of what's to come one year from now, when the New York area (and more specifically, suburban New Jersey) will crown the 2026 World Cup champion on the same field. Culturally speaking, nothing comes close to a World Cup final. Almost 1.5 billion people — more than a sixth of the planet's population — watched the epic 2022 decider between Lionel Messi's Argentina and Kylian Mbappe's France in Qatar. The Super Bowl, by way of comparison, draws a global television audience of less than 200 million. Still, Sunday's Club World Cup final felt like a legitimately big deal around New York. It was also a fitting preview of what will occur next July 19. RELATED: 104 Super Bowls? Five Million Fans? The 2026 World Cup Will Be Colossal in Big Ways The Club World Cup had its detractors before and during the competition. Many of those criticisms were valid. Ticket prices were priced too high initially, forcing FIFA to slash prices later on. Some group stage matches were marked by paltry crowds. There wasn't a huge appetite in Central Florida to see South Korea's Ulsan FC face South African club Mamelodi Sundowns, with that first-round matchup drawing just 3,412 spectators to the 25,000-seat home of MLS side Orlando City. 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Sure, some Chelsea and PSG die-hards flew in from London and Paris for the chance to see their team hoist the Tiffany-designed trophy. But the English Premier League has been a staple on streaming services and cable and free TV in the U.S. for decades. As one of the Prem's most successful clubs over the last 20 years (the Blues have won five English, two European and two Europa League titles since 2005), they have a huge stateside following. Meantime, PSG is one of the sport's most glamorous brands, a team that has employed global superstars Messi, Mbappé, Neymar, David Beckham and Zlatan Ibrahimovic and won the Champions League for the first time in May. The nationality of both sets of supporters on Sunday wasn't given away just by the accents in concourses or concession-stand lines. After Palmer gave Chelsea what proved to be an insurmountable 2-0 lead just a half-hour into the championship, Blues fans broke not into song, as they do at Stamford Bridge, but into a deafening "Let's go Chelsea!" chant instead. There were plenty of neutrals present, too. Spotted in the sea of blue and bleu-blanc-rouge was every other kind of shirt imaginable, from vintage Maradona jerseys to Liga MX's Tigres to Toronto FC to the Greek national team. A sizable contingent wore Ecuador's yellow top or a Chelsea one emblazoned with Moises Caicedo's name and No. 25; New Jersey is home to some 250,000 Ecuadoran expats, more than any other state. They all came to see something compelling and different. FIFA leaned into the latter by testing out referee cams and basketball-style player intros. Legendary boxing announcer Michael Buffer introduced the teams with his signature "let's get ready to rumble!" call. Crews rushed to water the grass during cooling breaks as if they were floor sweepers at an NBA game. And there was the halftime show featuring J Balvin, Doja Cat, and Coldplay that wouldn't have felt out of place at a marquee NFL game. None of it overshadowed the all-world product on the field. While U.S.-based soccer lovers have been money-grabbed by touring European giants every summer since the early 2000s, it's still rare to see them in real high-stakes competition on this side of the Atlantic. The Club World Cup had until this year been little more than an annoyance for top European squads. It only began in the year 2000, was shoehorned into the middle of domestic campaigns, and featured just seven entrants. But since becoming FIFA president in 2016, Gianni Infantino has been determined to expand it as a global counterweight to Europe's vaunted UEFA Champions League. His dream was finally realized this summer, with a 32-team field hosted by the U.S. as a dress rehearsal for the 2026 co-host (along with Canada and Mexico) of what will be a 48-nation World Cup next year, 50-percent larger than any previous edition. Given its novelty, this Club World Cup and Sunday's final in particular can't be considered anything other than a smashing success. So what if it pales in comparison to what's expected 12 months from now? In addition to the bragging rights that come with being christened the "undisputed" best club in the world by FIFA, Chelsea, which finished fourth in England last season, earned a cool $113 million in prize money at this Club World Cup — more than half as much as Liverpool received for winning the Premier League over a grueling, 10-month, 38-match campaign. Clubs and players cared, clearly. It's no surprise then than fans eventually followed their lead. "We value it just as much as winning the Champions League," Chelsea manager Maresca said afterward of the Club World Cup title. "It will be a source of price to wear the winner's badge." This past month was a tasty appetizer. The main course is still to come. Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports who has covered United States men's and women's national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ ByDougMcIntyre . recommended Item 1 of 2 Get more from the FIFA Club World Cup Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
FIFA opens office in Trump Tower as soccer chief builds close ties to Trump
FIFA has opened an office in Trump Tower in New York City, the organization's president Gianna Infantino announced this week, in the latest sign of deepening ties between soccer's governing body and President Trump before the U.S. hosts next year's World Cup. Infantino announced the decision in a presentation at the Trump Organization's Manhattan headquarters Monday, where he was joined by the president's son Eric Trump and former Brazilian soccer star Ronaldo, a two-time World Cup winner. "So today, we are opening an office of FIFA here in Trump Tower," Infantino said. The FIFA president added that soccer's governing body has "received such a big support" from the Trump White House and its World Cup task force. That government task force is chaired by Mr. Trump, whom Infantino called "a big fan of soccer." He also thanked Eric Trump and the Trump Organization for their support. "Our success is your success," the FIFA president said. Eric Trump, executive vice president at the Trump Organization, praised the FIFA president for "bringing the tournament" to the U.S. CBS News has reached out to FIFA and the Trump Organization for comment. The FIFA president has built close ties with Mr. Trump since he returned to office in January. Infantino has made several appearances alongside the U.S. leader: He attended the president's inauguration, has visited the Oval Office at least twice and met Mr. Trump during his overseas trip to the Middle East in May, during which the FIFA leader received a standing ovation. "Great job, Gianni," Mr. Trump said at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum. Infantino was late to FIFA's annual congress held in Paraguay after joining Mr. Trump in Saudi Arabia and Qatar in May. In protest, delegates from FIFA's European confederation, UEFA, walked out of that session. In a statement to CBS News, UEFA called Infantino's delay "deeply regrettable" and backed its representatives, saying that the "last minute" request by FIFA to "accommodate private political interests does the game no service." Mr. Trump, meanwhile, told reporters this week he plans to attend the final of the Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday. The Club World Cup trophy was also revealed to the public at Trump Tower earlier this week. It was first displayed in the Oval Office in March and will now stay in Mr. Trump's New York property until Sunday's finals, in which French champions and UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint Germain will face English Premier League team Chelsea. The Club World Cup brings individual clubs from all six continental confederations of FIFA. Under the new format, 32 teams were selected for this year's tournament based on their domestic and international achievements. Although similar in name, the better-known World Cup features national teams only. The opening of an office in Trump Tower is another move to expand FIFA's presence in the United States ahead of the World Cup. Last summer, it opened a legal and compliance division office in Miami. The United States, Canada, and Mexico are set to co-host the World Cup next year. Two Canadian, three Mexican, and 11 American cities will welcome 48 nations to the iconic competition, up from 32, its first increase since 1998. Mr. Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a massive spending law that passed both chambers of Congress last week, allocates $625 million for World Cup security funding. It also offers $1 billion for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Mr. Trump's interest in the World Cup dates back to his first term, when FIFA awarded the event to the U.S. and its neighbors. The president urged other FIFA members to support the U.S. bid ahead of FIFA's 2018 decision. Hosting the World Cup has become as sought-after as the Olympics for nations around the world. The event attracts a massive television audience, with some 570 million viewers tuning into the 2022 Finals match, according to figures from FIFA. But the selection process has increasingly attracted controversy, with FIFA facing allegations of corruption and bribery in the way it has managed past contests to secure hosting and media rights. Federal officials in the U.S. have prosecuted the heads of various regional soccer bodies for taking bribes and kickbacks. The organization denies the accusations of widespread bribery and says the game is for everyone. "We want to make football truly global and in order for football to become truly global, we need to embrace the entire globe," Infantino said in the draw ceremony of the 2023 Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia.
