New Club World Cup rule introduced for first time in Fifa history in major boost to Lionel Messi
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
LIONEL MESSI'S bid for shock Club World Cup glory has been boosted by a rule change.
Messi's Inter Miami are joint top of Group A after his majestic winner against Porto.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
2
Lionel Messi hopes to be in dreamland, perhaps with help from Fifa
Credit: Getty
And for the first time in the competition's history, Fifa are adopting Uefa-style rules to sort out who goes through - if teams end up tied.
The leading two sides in each of the eight four-team groups qualify for the last 16.
A problem comes if two clubs are level on points for a qualifying place.
Fifa used to decide it on goal difference.
READ MORE CLUB WORLD CUP NEWS
LOOK REAL CLOSE Strange feature seen on Real Madrid kit as Adidas make unintended addition
But this summer football's international chiefs have switched to head-to-head records.
That's left David Beckham's Miami in a brilliant position to go through - one they surely could only have dreamed of.
WATCH EVERY MATCH OF THE CLUB WORLD CUP 2025 LIVE ON DAZN
Messi and Co are level with Palmeiras on four points from two matches.
Portuguese giants Porto and Saudi team Al Ahly have just a point apiece.
BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK
It means Miami will go through - unless they lose to Palmeiras on Messi's 38th birthday next Tuesday AND Al Ahly overcome Porto.
Fifa will hope the full range of tiebreakers won't be needed to split teams if they are level on points.
Lionel Messi gives rare insight into his relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo
That's because the eighth and final option is the dreaded drawing of lots.
After points and head-to-head record, goal difference between the teams in question is the third criteria.
Goals scored between the two sides is next - followed by group goal difference and then group goals scored.
Down at number seven is disciplinary points from yellow and red cards.
A booking for a player of staff member is minus one point, two yellows for the same person is minus three, and a straight red card minus four.
Eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi will of course aim to produce more magic to kill off the need for such tiebreakers.
Fans raved he was "still the GOAT" and "from another planet" after his curling free-kick sunk Porto 2-1 on Thursday night, watched by 31,783 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
2
Messi swerved home a comeback winner against Porto
Credit: Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
17 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson issues lengthy public apology - 'I let you down'
Nicolas Jackson's position at Chelsea is under threat from Liam Delap, and his response to losing his place to the £30m new boy on his birthday was a shocker Nicolas Jackson has issued a public apology after his red card in the FIFA Club World Cup. Chelsea hothead Jackson got his marching orders on his 24th BIRTHDAY just FOUR MINUTES after coming on as a substitute for a shocking X-rated challenge. Jackson entered the field with the score 1-1 in Chelsea's second game of the tournament, against Brazilian side Flamengo. By the time he left the field they were 2-1 down, before going on to lose 3-1 to the side coached by ex-Blues left-back Filipe Luis. After the match, Jackson wrote on instagram: 'I want to say sorry. To the club, the staff, my teammates, and all the fans watching, I let you down. Another red card... and honestly, I'm so angry at myself. 'I work hard every day to help the team not to put us in this kind of situation. I still don't fully understand how it happened. But one thing is clear: it wasn't intentional. Just a football moment that went the wrong way. 'No excuses. I take full responsibility. 'I'll reflect, I'll grow, and I'll come back stronger for the badge and for everyone who believes in me. Sorry. Sorry.' It compounded six minutes of second half madness for Chelsea as Flamengo turned the game on its head and went from 1-0 down to 2-1 up before Jackson got sent off. There was no excuse for his appalling studs-up challenge on Flamengo's Ayrton Lucas which in this competition gets an automatic one game ban which FIFA can review and upgrade. Frankly, they should throw the book at him and it is no wonder that Maresca signed Liam Delap because he cannot trust Jackson. Jackson has so much talent but his reckless temperament makes him a liability and suddenly, from winning their first game, the mood will change in the Chelsea camp. Defender Marc Cucurella revealed he apologised to the players in the dressing room post-game. The Spaniard said: "He's very sad. He tried to win the ball, had the bad luck that he kicked his leg and that's it. He's a young player with a lot of quality but maybe needs to improve a little bit in these things. 'But he has to learn. After the manager spoke, he said sorry, he didn't do it on purpose. He's a very important player for us, we will miss him in the next game but this is football.' Jon Obi Mikel, working for DAZN, was scathing in his assessment. He said: "Unbelievable, a stupid, stupid, stupid mistake. I don't know what was going through his head. Your team needs you and he does that!" "He did that at Newcastle in an important game. He got a red card. And now he's done this again. You can't keep making mistakes like this." Watch the Club World Cup free on DAZN £0 DAZN Get DAZN here Product Description Asked whether Jackson could have been frustrated at losing his place to Delap, Mikel responded: "I don't care what his frustration is (Delap starting). This is a massive football club and it's about competition. "If you're angry or p****d off, then you have to embrace it. We need competition." DAZN presenter Kelly Somers apologised for the choice of language from Mikel. But going back to the incident later on, Mikel added: "Jackson needs to have a word with himself, where do you want to go with your Chelsea career?" Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Scottish Sun
26 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
How record Florian Wirtz transfer could spark £400m Liverpool overhaul as Arne Slot plots Feyenoord-style transformation
Title-winning boss might bring in string of other big buys Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ARNE SLOT spent just £10million last summer on Juventus playmaker Federico Chiesa. But the Liverpool boss — fresh from winning the Premier League title in his debut season — is on a £200m-plus transfer blitz to make sure the Reds blast out of the blocks from day one of pre-season. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Florian Wirtz's £116.5m arrival could be just the start Credit: PA 6 Arne Slot is prepared for several ins and outs Credit: AFP German sensation Florian Wirtz, 22, is the marquee signing for a British-record £116.5m and joins his old Bayer Leverkusen team-mate Jeremie Frimpong — who cost £29.5m — at Anfield. 6 Liverpool fancy Newcastle duo Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon Credit: Reuters Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez is next to make the move to Merseyside after a £40m deal was agreed yesterday, while Valencia's £30m keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili joins on July 1. Slot is also keen on Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi, while Newcastle pair Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon remain targets in a flurry of summer transfer activity that could see the Kop boss spend another £200m. While rivals Manchester City and Chelsea exert themselves in the sweltering heat of the Club World Cup — which runs until July 13 in the USA — Liverpool are primed to turn up the pressure in the title race when they kick-off the season against Bournemouth on August 15. READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS RED HOT Brighton want Harvey Elliott and have secret weapon to use in transfer race Playmaker Wirtz is the headline act in Slot's revolution — one the Dutchman has been plotting over the last 12 months. Slot, 46, paid tribute to predecessor Jurgen Klopp when he lifted a record-equalling 20th league title in front of an adoring Kop back in May. But the former Feyenoord boss clearly felt he inherited a squad that needed a complete makeover in tactics and personnel. Slot saved his money and waited while winning the hearts and minds of a doubting red half of Merseyside — as well as players, who were unsure of what would come next. 6 The Liverpool new boy had 22 goal involvements in 31 Bundesliga games last term BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK At the same time he was identifying who he wanted — and who he didn't. Andy Robertson, Kostas Tsimikas, Jarrel Quansah — almost certain to leave for Leverkusen — Joe Gomez, Harvey Elliott and Darwin Nunez could all be out this summer. Brighton Eye £40m Harvey Elliott from Liverpool Of course, Slot had been here before. After his first season in charge of Feyenoord, in 2021-22, he instigated massive changes. He moved on 16 players, including £12.9m Tyrell Malacia to Manchester United and Luis Sinisterra, who was sold to Leeds for £25m, while 11 were either let go or sent out on loan. Meanwhile, for around £35m — far less than the mammoth budget he is now armed with — 15 were brought in. Slot lifted the Eredivisie title in 2023 and the Dutch Cup last year before making his way to Anfield. And changes were made as he got his feet under the table, although none of them suggested how seismic they would become. Klopp's 'heavy metal football' morphed into far more controlled and muted melodies, the beat about possession, not frantic assault. Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister went to double-bass, the pair redeployed from attacking roles to holding midfielders. Trent Alexander-Arnold no longer busked away from his right-back spot so often, Nunez was made a third string, Dominik Szoboszlai moved into a more free–flowing, attacking role, much of it to enable Mo Salah to play all that jazz and become the Football Writers' Association and Prem Player of the Year. Slot got the band playing to a more sophisticated rhythm and turned them into a No 1 hit. The campaign morphed into what seemed a perfect symphony but as Liverpool's summer splurge shows, with Wirtz coming in as the conductor of a new orchestra, it was really only the opening overture. Now comes what Slot will hope will be the creation of his very own work of art, led by 5ft 10in Wirtz, who many believe is becoming one of the great maestros of the game. 6 Jeremie Frimpong has also come in from Bayer Leverkusen Credit: Getty 6 EDITORIAL USE ONLY No use with unauthorised audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Javier Garcia/Shutterstock (15304351bg) Marc Gu¿hi of Crystal Palace with an eye injury during the post […] Credit: Shutterstock Editorial He arrives as a generational talent who not only creates but scores — 44 goal contributions across the last two Bundesliga campaigns, including 21 goals and a league-high of 23 assists. Wirtz's figures are the second most of any player aged under 23 in Europe's top-five leagues, just behind Chelsea's Cole Palmer. Last season, for the second in a row, he was one of just six players to reach double figures for goals and assists in Europe's big-five leagues. Wirtz is his own one–man band. He is almost faultless with both feet and waltzes past defenders because he is so difficult to predict. Over the last two years he attempted a Bundesliga-high of 313 take-ons. And just Barcelona's Lamine Yamal (231), West Ham's Mohammed Kudus (216) and Manchester City's Jeremy Doku (203) completed more than his 161 dribbles in that same time frame in Europe's top five leagues. Wirtz created 124 chances from open play in that period, a figure bettered only by Salah (150), Arsenal skipper Martin Odegaard (139), Manchester United's captain Bruno Fernandes (137) and Chelsea's Palmer (134). These mighty statistics suggest the playmaker ranked first in the Bundesliga for through balls (49) and completed lay-off passes (123) last season will be a sensation under Slot as he continues his makeover
Times
35 minutes ago
- Times
Nicolas Jackson red card caps six minutes of madness for beaten Chelsea
The South American teams have ignited the Club World Cup with their enthusiastic spark and colour but they have also brought the quality to match too, and that should not, as Chelsea found to their cost, be taken lightly. A day after European champions Paris Saint-Germain were defeated by Brazilian champions Botafogo, it was Chelsea's turn, in the soaring heat and amid unbridled fervour on the terraces, to feel the sharp end of the Brazilian game, as they were felled in Philadelphia by a vibrant Flamengo, the Brazilian league leaders, who ensured South American sides remain unbeaten after nine games. Six second-half minutes transformed the game as inspired substitute Bruno Henrique and the former Manchester City defender Danilo combined to overturn a 1-0 deficit, before Nicolas Jackson, on the field for just four minutes, ended hope of a comeback after he was sent off for a poor challenge on Ayrton Lucas.
