Healthy crowds and Messi mania lift CWC
The expanded Club World Cup has kicked off with healthy crowds, "Messi mania" and a festival atmosphere in Miami, giving an early vindication to world football body FIFA after fears of empty stands and global disinterest.
FIFA controversially awarded Lionel Messi's Inter Miami a backdoor route into the tournament, ensuring the sport's biggest name would be there after he propelled soccer to new heights in a country often ambivalent to the world's most popular game.
Some 61,000 fans packed the Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday to watch the Argentine and teammates play Egyptian giants Al-Ahly in a goalless draw.
Another strong crowd turned out on Sunday for the clash between Paris St Germain and Atletico Madrid, which ended in a one-sided 4-0 win for the Champions League winners.
However, Bayern Munich's 10-0 demolition of semi-professional Auckland City underscored the worrying gulf in quality between some of the competing clubs.
But the opening weekend largely delivered what FIFA had hoped for: vibrant crowds and global representation.
South American supporters made their presence especially felt.
More than 1,000 Boca Juniors fans in blue and gold turned Miami Beach into a party strip on Sunday ahead of their opening match, singing club anthems and waving flags in scenes reminiscent of a World Cup carnival.
"Wherever you go, Boca is here," Gaston San Paul, a fan who flew in from Entre Rios in Argentina, told Reuters.
"Wherever we are we do this," he added, referring to the "Banderazo" (flag party), a fan gathering destined to mark territory ahead of a game.
Boca and Real Madrid games were among the top early ticket sellers, according to FIFA, which said that top markets after the US were Brazil, Argentina and Mexico.
Talk of empty stands was at least provisionally dismissed as well as heightened anxiety in the immigrant-heavy Miami area following recent federal immigration raids.
At the heart of the opening weekend buzz was Messi, whose presence has elevated Inter Miami's profile and guaranteed global glamour for the tournament.
$1 billion deal
Messi, who received a standing ovation before kickoff, was unable to find the net against Al-Ahly but provided flashes of brilliance in a tightly contested, physical match.
FIFA is banking not only on Messi's star power but also on a radical new broadcast strategy.
The tournament is being streamed for free worldwide by DAZN in a $1 billion deal.
That agreement followed Saudi Arabia's SURJ Sports Investment, a subsidiary of the country's Public Investment Fund (PIF), acquiring a minority stake in DAZN for a reported $1 billion - another marker of the kingdom's growing investment footprint in sport.
The partnership, one of the largest broadcast packages in football history, is central to FIFA's push to maximize digital engagement and position the Club World Cup as a global spectacle ahead of the 2026 World Cup in North America.
The $1 billion prize money, which ensures a hefty $125 million for the winners, was an obvious incentive for the European clubs.
"There's a lot of money at stake. If you have the chance to earn a lot of money at a tournament, you should take the chance," former Bayern legend Karl Heinz Rummenigge said in the run-up.
DAZN has yet to provide viewership data.
While the crowds gave FIFA reason to be cheerful, the Bayern Munich v Auckland City match raised awkward questions about the tournament's balance as the German champions obliterated their opponents 10-0.
Despite the lopsided contest in Cincinnati, the overall mood among organizers was one of optimism, calling the opening weekend a resounding success.
Many Floridians, however, did not know a global soccer event was taking place in their state.
"There is a World Cup? Hockey?," said one person working in a restaurant in Miami Beach.
"This tournament is new, and it is different. It is the very first time clubs and players from all over the world have had the chance to face each other in competitive matches on a global stage," FIFA said, referring to the 32-club format after the previous editions featured seven.
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Express Tribune
6 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Healthy crowds and Messi mania lift CWC
The expanded Club World Cup has kicked off with healthy crowds, "Messi mania" and a festival atmosphere in Miami, giving an early vindication to world football body FIFA after fears of empty stands and global disinterest. FIFA controversially awarded Lionel Messi's Inter Miami a backdoor route into the tournament, ensuring the sport's biggest name would be there after he propelled soccer to new heights in a country often ambivalent to the world's most popular game. Some 61,000 fans packed the Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday to watch the Argentine and teammates play Egyptian giants Al-Ahly in a goalless draw. Another strong crowd turned out on Sunday for the clash between Paris St Germain and Atletico Madrid, which ended in a one-sided 4-0 win for the Champions League winners. However, Bayern Munich's 10-0 demolition of semi-professional Auckland City underscored the worrying gulf in quality between some of the competing clubs. But the opening weekend largely delivered what FIFA had hoped for: vibrant crowds and global representation. South American supporters made their presence especially felt. More than 1,000 Boca Juniors fans in blue and gold turned Miami Beach into a party strip on Sunday ahead of their opening match, singing club anthems and waving flags in scenes reminiscent of a World Cup carnival. "Wherever you go, Boca is here," Gaston San Paul, a fan who flew in from Entre Rios in Argentina, told Reuters. "Wherever we are we do this," he added, referring to the "Banderazo" (flag party), a fan gathering destined to mark territory ahead of a game. Boca and Real Madrid games were among the top early ticket sellers, according to FIFA, which said that top markets after the US were Brazil, Argentina and Mexico. Talk of empty stands was at least provisionally dismissed as well as heightened anxiety in the immigrant-heavy Miami area following recent federal immigration raids. At the heart of the opening weekend buzz was Messi, whose presence has elevated Inter Miami's profile and guaranteed global glamour for the tournament. $1 billion deal Messi, who received a standing ovation before kickoff, was unable to find the net against Al-Ahly but provided flashes of brilliance in a tightly contested, physical match. FIFA is banking not only on Messi's star power but also on a radical new broadcast strategy. The tournament is being streamed for free worldwide by DAZN in a $1 billion deal. That agreement followed Saudi Arabia's SURJ Sports Investment, a subsidiary of the country's Public Investment Fund (PIF), acquiring a minority stake in DAZN for a reported $1 billion - another marker of the kingdom's growing investment footprint in sport. The partnership, one of the largest broadcast packages in football history, is central to FIFA's push to maximize digital engagement and position the Club World Cup as a global spectacle ahead of the 2026 World Cup in North America. The $1 billion prize money, which ensures a hefty $125 million for the winners, was an obvious incentive for the European clubs. "There's a lot of money at stake. If you have the chance to earn a lot of money at a tournament, you should take the chance," former Bayern legend Karl Heinz Rummenigge said in the run-up. DAZN has yet to provide viewership data. While the crowds gave FIFA reason to be cheerful, the Bayern Munich v Auckland City match raised awkward questions about the tournament's balance as the German champions obliterated their opponents 10-0. Despite the lopsided contest in Cincinnati, the overall mood among organizers was one of optimism, calling the opening weekend a resounding success. Many Floridians, however, did not know a global soccer event was taking place in their state. "There is a World Cup? Hockey?," said one person working in a restaurant in Miami Beach. "This tournament is new, and it is different. It is the very first time clubs and players from all over the world have had the chance to face each other in competitive matches on a global stage," FIFA said, referring to the 32-club format after the previous editions featured seven.
Express Tribune
6 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Empty seats as Chelsea win CWC opener
Enzo Fernandez (C) celebrates after scoring Chelsea's second goal against Los Angeles FC in Atlanta. Photo: AFP Chelsea began their Club World Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory against Los Angeles FC in a largely empty stadium on Monday as Brazilian giants Flamengo also got off to a winning start and a Benfica comeback denied Boca Juniors in a stormy encounter. As the inaugural 32-team tournament gradually kicks into gear in the United States, Chelsea followed fellow European heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich by claiming three points in their first group outing. Yet while UEFA Champions League winners PSG were ominous against Atletico Madrid on Sunday, and Bayern put 10 past Auckland City, the Premier League team were more solid than spectacular against LAFC in Atlanta. Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez got the goals for Enzo Maresca's side in the Group D match before nearly 50,000 empty seats at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium — not a great look for the tournament organisers. New signing Liam Delap made his debut as a substitute and helped set up Fernandez's strike, with Chelsea hoping to reestablish themselves among the elite after their recent UEFA Conference League triumph and Champions League qualification. Maresca said it was a "very good result" and was happy with Delap's display following his recent arrival from Ipswich Town. "The good thing about Liam is he knows the way we want to play, so the process is quite quick," said the Italian. "The environment was a bit strange, the stadium was almost empty, not full," added Maresca when asked about the crowd, as just over 22,000 attended the 71,000-capacity venue for a game played at 3:00 pm local time on a Monday. LAFC were late qualifiers for the tournament, beating Club America in a play-off last month to replace banned Mexican side Club Leon. Chelsea went ahead just after the half-hour mark when Nicolas Jackson released Neto and the Portuguese winger turned inside LA defender Ryan Hollingshead before beating goalkeeper Hugo Lloris with a powerful strike. Former Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud came on at half time for the Americans and Steve Cherundolo's team improved in the second half. However, Delap entered the fray for Chelsea and made the killer second goal, crossing for the arriving Fernandez to control and finish. Dominant Flamengo Chelsea's next game will be against Flamengo, who began their campaign by easing to a 2-0 win against Esperance of Tunisia in Philadelphia. Uruguayan international Giorgian de Arrascaeta gave the Brazilian giants a 17th-minute lead from an assist by Luiz Araujo, who made it 2-0 with 20 minutes remaining. It was a dominant display from Flamengo, who fielded a strong side featuring several Brazil internationals and gave a debut to Italy midfielder Jorginho following his arrival from Arsenal. Jorginho will face former club Chelsea when the teams meet in their second match on Friday. Flamengo coach Filipe Luis is also an ex-player at Stamford Bridge. There were vast sections of empty seats at Lincoln Financial Field too, with just 25,797 fans in a stadium that can hold close to 70,000. Stormy In contrast, there was close to a full house, and a raucous atmosphere, in Miami as Boca and Benfica played out an entertaining 2-2 draw in Group C. The majority of the crowd was backing Boca and the Argentines roared into a two-goal lead, Miguel Merentiel and Rodrigo Battaglia both scoring in the first half. Two-time European champions Benfica were given a lifeline in first-half stoppage time when Boca's Carlos Palacios mistimed a challenge on Nicolas Otamendi and after a VAR review — which included a red card for protesting from the already substituted Boca midfield Ander Herrera — a penalty was awarded. Veteran Angel di Maria converted from the spot to make it 2-1, but Benfica then had Andrea Belotti sent off in the 71st minute after a wild, high-footed kick into the head of Ayrton Costa. But with six minutes remaining the Portuguese side equalised as Otamendi headed in to make it 2-2. A disappointing result for Boca was compounded by a late red card for Nicolas Figal, who was dismissed for an ugly challenge on Florentino Luis. "We're left with a bitter taste because we thought we could have won it," said Boca's Battaglia.
Business Recorder
a day ago
- Business Recorder
Dominant Flamengo beat Esperance 2-0 at Club World Cup
PHILADELPHIA: Flamengo began their Club World Cup campaign with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Esperance de Tunis in their Group D opener in Philadelphia on Monday thanks to goals from Giorgian de Arrascaeta and Luiz Araujo. The Brazilian side dominated from start to finish on a chilly evening at a half-empty Lincoln Financial Field, with Esperance managing only two attempts on goal. Flamengo opened the scoring in the 17th minute when Guillermo Varela surged down the right and delivered a pinpoint cross to Luiz Araujo, who cushioned the ball into the path of Arrascaeta to fire home. Healthy crowds and Messi mania lift Club World Cup, but quality gap shows Esperance struggled to get a foothold on the match, with Flamengo enjoying 80% possession, but they enjoyed their best moments after the break with Youcef Belaili providing a rare spark. After curling a shot narrowly wide in the 63rd minute, Belaili forced Flamengo goalkeeper Augustin Rossi into a sharp save with a close-range effort five minutes later. However, Flamengo quickly reasserted control to silence the lively Tunisian support behind the south goal and in the 70th minute they doubled their lead through Araujo. Former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder Jorginho played an incisive through ball for Araujo to break the offside trap and after cutting inside he curled a precise left-footed strike into the bottom corner. The win puts Flamengo level on points with Chelsea at the top of Group D, after the London club also secured a 2-0 victory over LAFC earlier in the day. Flamengo and Chelsea meet on Friday in a match likely to determine the group winner.
