Five things to look out for as Club World Cup kicks off
AFP Sport picks five things to look out for on the pitch as teams compete to conquer the world and claim their share of $1 billion in prize money.
Messi back in the spotlight
Former Barcelona great Lionel Messi has spent the last two seasons at MLS side Inter Miami but the Club World Cup pits him against European opposition once again.
The 37-year-old superstar still possesses supreme quality but there are question marks over whether he and former top level stars Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets can seriously compete against the cream of the crop.
Inter Miami face Porto in their second group match in Atlanta, a team Messi has faced once before, beating them with Barca in the UEFA Super Cup back in 2011.
Messi also featured against Porto in a friendly with Barca back in 2003, which was his first ever appearance for the club at 16 years old.
If he nets at the tournament, Messi would become the oldest ever Club World Cup goalscorer, while both he and Suarez trail the competition's all-time top scorer, Cristiano Ronaldo, by two goals.
A new stage for Doue
Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League final romp over Inter Milan was inspired by thrilling forward Desire Doue, who turned 20 earlier in June.
His spectacular burst into the limelight over the past few months means he is one of the players to watch this summer at the Club World Cup.
He struck twice in the final against Inter as well as setting up another goal and drew comparisons to Spanish starlet Lamine Yamal, who will not be playing this summer as Barcelona did not qualify.
PSG's opening clash against Atletico Madrid at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles immediately gives Doue another stage to shine on as the world at large continues to discover his immense talent.
Revamped City
Pep Guardiola's Manchester City endured a poor season by their lofty standards and immediately took action in the special transfer window to bolster their squad for the Club World Cup.
The Abu Dhabi-owned club have already splashed more than £100 million ($136 million) on Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Rayan Cherki.
With holding midfielder Rodri also returning to fitness after injury, City are hoping they can step up their game significantly.
French 21-year-old attacking midfielder Cherki is an exciting talent looking to show his quality at the top level.
"I really believe he can become a world-class player with our support and direction," said City's director of football Hugo Viana.
South American threat
While Europe's elite are at the end of a long, hard season, South American clubs are midway through their campaigns and will be energised.
They have long revered the competition to a far greater degree than European sides, as it represents the chance to face the very best teams in the world.
Fans who do not regularly follow South American football can look forward to discovering some of the most exciting emerging talents in the world.
River Plate's Argentine playmaker Franco Mastantuono will join Real Madrid after the tournament, while Chelsea-bound striker Estevao Willian is hoping to end his time at Brazilian side Palmeiras with a bang.
Atletico hunger
Atletico Madrid ended the season trophyless despite looking like potential contenders in Spain and Europe.
Diego Simeone's side are proud of having reached the tournament ahead of La Liga rivals Barcelona and the coach has not hidden his desire to succeed this summer.
"I hope we can advance in the Club World Cup and lead Atletico Madrid to a privileged position," said Simeone.
Atletico have not won a single trophy since lifting La Liga in 2021 and their last success outside of Spanish football came in 2018 with Europa League and UEFA Super Cup wins.
Their elimination by Real Madrid in the Champions League after Julian Alvarez's controversial 'double-touch' penalty was disallowed sent them into a spiral, which they only managed to shake off in the final weeks of the season, after their chances of success had vanished.
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France 24
15 hours ago
- France 24
Five things to look out for as Club World Cup kicks off
AFP Sport picks five things to look out for on the pitch as teams compete to conquer the world and claim their share of $1 billion in prize money. Messi back in the spotlight Former Barcelona great Lionel Messi has spent the last two seasons at MLS side Inter Miami but the Club World Cup pits him against European opposition once again. The 37-year-old superstar still possesses supreme quality but there are question marks over whether he and former top level stars Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets can seriously compete against the cream of the crop. Inter Miami face Porto in their second group match in Atlanta, a team Messi has faced once before, beating them with Barca in the UEFA Super Cup back in 2011. Messi also featured against Porto in a friendly with Barca back in 2003, which was his first ever appearance for the club at 16 years old. If he nets at the tournament, Messi would become the oldest ever Club World Cup goalscorer, while both he and Suarez trail the competition's all-time top scorer, Cristiano Ronaldo, by two goals. A new stage for Doue Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League final romp over Inter Milan was inspired by thrilling forward Desire Doue, who turned 20 earlier in June. His spectacular burst into the limelight over the past few months means he is one of the players to watch this summer at the Club World Cup. He struck twice in the final against Inter as well as setting up another goal and drew comparisons to Spanish starlet Lamine Yamal, who will not be playing this summer as Barcelona did not qualify. PSG's opening clash against Atletico Madrid at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles immediately gives Doue another stage to shine on as the world at large continues to discover his immense talent. Revamped City Pep Guardiola's Manchester City endured a poor season by their lofty standards and immediately took action in the special transfer window to bolster their squad for the Club World Cup. The Abu Dhabi-owned club have already splashed more than £100 million ($136 million) on Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Rayan Cherki. With holding midfielder Rodri also returning to fitness after injury, City are hoping they can step up their game significantly. French 21-year-old attacking midfielder Cherki is an exciting talent looking to show his quality at the top level. "I really believe he can become a world-class player with our support and direction," said City's director of football Hugo Viana. South American threat While Europe's elite are at the end of a long, hard season, South American clubs are midway through their campaigns and will be energised. They have long revered the competition to a far greater degree than European sides, as it represents the chance to face the very best teams in the world. Fans who do not regularly follow South American football can look forward to discovering some of the most exciting emerging talents in the world. River Plate's Argentine playmaker Franco Mastantuono will join Real Madrid after the tournament, while Chelsea-bound striker Estevao Willian is hoping to end his time at Brazilian side Palmeiras with a bang. Atletico hunger Atletico Madrid ended the season trophyless despite looking like potential contenders in Spain and Europe. Diego Simeone's side are proud of having reached the tournament ahead of La Liga rivals Barcelona and the coach has not hidden his desire to succeed this summer. "I hope we can advance in the Club World Cup and lead Atletico Madrid to a privileged position," said Simeone. Atletico have not won a single trophy since lifting La Liga in 2021 and their last success outside of Spanish football came in 2018 with Europa League and UEFA Super Cup wins. Their elimination by Real Madrid in the Champions League after Julian Alvarez's controversial 'double-touch' penalty was disallowed sent them into a spiral, which they only managed to shake off in the final weeks of the season, after their chances of success had vanished.
France 24
15 hours ago
- France 24
After conquering Europe, PSG now have sights set on Club World Cup glory
"I think it is an incredible competition," PSG coach Luis Enrique said of the Club World Cup in the immediate aftermath of his team's UEFA Champions League triumph in Munich two weeks ago. "Our aim is to be competitive and try to win a fifth trophy of the season." The Qatar-backed French giants could be forgiven for wanting some time to bask in the glory of their 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in Munich which allowed them to finally win the Champions League for the first time in their history. There had been numerous agonising failures in Europe's elite club competition, as well as billions of euros spent on transfer fees on stars like Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, prior to captain Marquinhos raising the trophy aloft. "We have made history for the club, for the city and for the whole country," defender Lucas Hernandez told sports daily L'Equipe after the PSG squad paraded their trophy down the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, attended a reception with President Emmanuel Macron and celebrated with almost 50,000 fans at their Parc des Princes stadium. PSG have played 58 matches since last August and also swept all the available domestic trophies in France this season, as has become the norm in recent years. No time to stop But there is simply no time to stop and reflect. Many of their players, including Champions League final hero Desire Doue, spent last week on international duty before returning to their club and departing for Los Angeles, where they will begin their Club World Cup adventure this weekend. "The tournament itself is a really attractive prospect," Luis Enrique told "We have to strike the balance between managing the physical and mental fatigue we're experiencing now at the end of a long season and harnessing the motivation that comes with being involved in the competition." PSG's opening game will be against another European heavyweight as they take on Antoine Griezmann's Atletico Madrid at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, just outside Los Angeles, on Sunday. They will then also face South American champions Botafogo, of Brazil, before moving north to take on Seattle Sounders in their remaining Group B matches. Expected to qualify for the knockout phase without too many issues, PSG could end up playing a total of seven matches if they make it all the way to the final in New York on July 13 -- just a month before their scheduled first game of next season in the UEFA Supercup against Tottenham Hotspur. The strain of such a long campaign is telling, with Ousmane Dembele -- their top scorer this season with 33 goals -- struggling with an injury picked up playing for France last week. They did not manage to add any new players to their squad during the brief transfer window that opened at the start of this month ahead of the tournament -- reported interest in Bournemouth's Ukrainian defender Illia Zabarnyi did not turn into anything concrete. But the rewards for success in the Club World Cup are enticing and should be enough to keep Luis Enrique's squad focused on their objective, with up to a stunning $125 million in prize money on offer for the best performing European team if they manage to go all the way.
France 24
21 hours ago
- France 24
Miami missing Alba for Club World Cup opener
Miami coach Javier Mascherano told a press conference on Friday that the former Barcelona defender would have to sit out the Group A match at Hard Rock Stadium. In another blow for the Major League Soccer club, defensive midfielder Yannick Bright has also been ruled out of the opener for the 32-team tournament. "Jordi and Yannick are not available for this game but hopefully they will be for the second game," said the Argentine coach. Miami will play Porto on Thursday in Atlanta before closing out the group stage against Brazil's Palmeiras back in South Florida. Alba, who has a leg muscle injury, will be a major absence for Mascherano not only for his defensive abilities but for his role as one of the main providers of quality service to Lionel Messi. Bright has delivered some physical presence to the midfield alongside the wily but ageing Sergio Busquets. "Obviously we would have loved to have everyone fit for this game and have our full roster, that would allow us to be stronger," added Mascherano. Despite the setbacks, the former Barcelona and Liverpool midfielder said his team were relishing the challenge of playing on the international stage. "This is a unique competition and we are privileged to be a part of it. We are here thanks to what we did last year and I think it is a huge opportunity to test each other out and see what our level is," he added. Miami were handed a place in the tournament as the representative of the host nation thanks to winning the MLS Supporters' Shield which is awarded for the team with the best regular season record. However Miami did not finish as champions of MLS, losing to Atlanta in the first-round of the playoffs while the Los Angeles Galaxy went out to win MLS Cup. There was some surprise when media arrived at the venue and the markings were not yet in place on the field with some work being carried out on the surface. "Let's hope it is in optimal condition, in this I think FIFA is well experienced but as I always say, we concentrate on things we can control," said the Miami coach.
