Five things to look out for as Club World Cup kicks off
Despite concerns over ticket sales and player fatigue, FIFA's new expanded Club World Cup will throw up several intriguing storylines this summer in the United States.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
38 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Here's all you need to know about schedule, teams, format
The much-awaited FIFA Club World Cup 2025 kickstarts on Saturday, June 14, with Argentina star Lionel Messi's Inter Miami set to play the tournament opener against Egyptian club Al Ahly at the Hard Rock Stadium in Florida. Taking place from June 14 to July 13 across various venues in the United States, the tournament sees 32 teams pitted against each other in a World Cup-style expanded format. In total, 63 matches will be played in the 2025 edition. For nearly a month, the tournament will feature several big names in soccer live in action. These include players from 12 European giants, such as Spain's Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, Italy's Inter Milan and Juventus, the UK's Manchester City and Chelsea, Champions League 2025 winner Paris Saint-Germain (France) and Bayern Munich from Germany. Besides this, there will be 10 teams from the Americas, like Messi's Inter Miami, Boca Juniors, Flamengo, River Plate, Palmeiras, Botafogo and Pachuca. Also, in action will be four teams, each from Asia and Africa, and a single team from Oceania. The event will be full of firsts, featuring several of the fresh signings, such as Dean Huijsen of Bournemouth and Real Madrid's Trent Alexander-Arnold. All the 63 matches will be streamed live for free on In its financial report in April, FIFA stated that the tournament can generate up to $21.1 billion for the global GDP, with $9.6 billion coming for the US alone. It will distribute an astonishing $1 billion in total prize money, with the winner all set to take home up to $125 million. The 32 participating clubs have been divided into eight groups, with each of them consisting of four teams. The top two teams from each group will later qualify for the knockout stages that start with the round of 16, followed by quarterfinals, semifinals and final. Group A: Palmeiras, FC Porto, Al Ahly and Inter Miami Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo and Seattle Sounders Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors and Benfica Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea and Los Angeles FC Group E: River Plate, Urawa Red Diamonds, Monterrey and Inter Milan Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan HD FC and Mamelodi Sundowns Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain and Juventus Group H: Real Madrid, Al-Hilal, Pachuca and FC Salzburg Schedule for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Group Stage: June 14-26 Round of 16: June 28 to July 1 Quarterfinals: July 4-5 Semifinals: July 8-9 Final: July 13 Tickets for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup are available through FIFA's official website and select authorised ticketing partners. Early access and exclusive bundles may also be offered through affiliated clubs. The expanded tournament features 32 clubs from across the globe, including continental champions and top-ranking sides from Europe, South America, Asia, Africa, North America, and Oceania. Real Madrid holds the record with five Club World Cup titles, followed by Barcelona with three. The full winners list is available on FIFA's website. The 2025 edition is hosted by the United States, with matches spread across major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Dallas, Miami, and Seattle.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Club World Cup: ICE agents presence adds unease to USA's litmus test ahead of 2026 WC, 2028 Olympics
On Thursday, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) authority consented to removing a social media post from their handles across platforms. The purported reason? It seemed to be spooking football fans who are expected to flock to stadiums to watch the inaugural edition of the revamped Club World Cup, which kicks off in Miami early on Sunday. The CBP's post noted that they will be 'suited and booted ready to provide security for the first round of games'. It was also confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will also be at the games; the stated presence of these agencies being mostly for reasons of security. But some noted a coded messaging behind that vague reasoning, given the Donald Trump-led American administration's massive recent anti-immigrant push. As Thomas Kennedy, member of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, told NBC News: 'It's sort of alluding that people should have their paperwork in order to attend the games. It creates an environment where people are less likely to come watch the games because of sheer intimidation.' Why this assumes greater significance is that the upcoming Club World Cup will act as a litmus test for the two biggest sporting events in the world that will be hosted in the US during the ongoing term of the incumbent administration: the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Global sport is increasingly veering towards the commercial viability of American eyeballs – the third edition of the Major League Cricket franchise T20 tournament kicked off there on Thursday, after part of the T20 World Cup was also held in the US last year. In no market in the world does live sport make more money than in the US. And football is no different in attempting to cash in on that. Despite the guarantees that both FIFA and the IOC have publicly stated they have been provided in this matter, though, there will be some unease regarding US decisions that have made them less open to people from all over the world. A travel ban in the form of a new policy, issued by President Trump himself, came into effect there on Sunday. It places total restrictions on entry into American borders for residents of 12 countries, and partial restrictions on those of seven other countries. Included are countries like Afghanistan, Iran and Venezuela. The order contains an exemption for both the World Cup and the Olympics, but the US will get to decide which members of a team and support staff are deemed 'necessary' to be given entry into their country. The order also makes no mention of fans who wish to travel to watch those events. The exemption may ease fears held on paper but it does little for the uncertainty that will be felt on global events of such a massive scale, and in Kennedy's words, the environment of 'sheer intimidation,' may not make for the most welcoming tournaments. In the short term, regarding the Club World Cup, FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who was seen meeting President Trump at the White House in March, has dismissed these concerns, even as he stakes his reputation on the smooth functioning of the tournament that he has personally pushed through. According to Infantino, the tournament, essentially his brainchild, will do wonders for the global game by addressing its current Eurocentrism and giving global teams broader visibility. 32 teams will play – 12 from Europe, six from South America, four each from Asia and Africa, one from Oceania, and five from North America. According to his critics, it will serve none of those purposes, instead being a vanity project to portray Infantino in a good light, making lots of money for FIFA's 211 member nations and strengthening his grip on the global game. But buzz for the event has been low, a far cry from the international football tournaments that traditionally take place in the summer. Players have complained about the bloated calendar putting stress on their bodies. As a result, clubs are likely to rotate squads and not play their best team, reducing the quality of the football to a glorified pre-season tournament. Sponsors haven't expressed a lot of interest. Ticket sales were a concern: according to The Athletic, local Miami college students have been offered as many as five tickets for the price of one at $21. So were broadcast rights. When a lucrative deal was not struck, the rights were sold to streaming platform DAZN for $1 billion. The Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund PIF then bought 10% of the company for $1 billion. Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 FIFA World Cup. When Lionel Messi's Inter Miami kick the tournament off at home on Sunday against Egyptian side Al Ahly, football will take the centre stage. Realpolitik will have to go behind the curtains, where it belongs. But the result of the tournament will be instructive of a few things: how successful football is in tapping the American market, and a glimpse of how the US manage hosting major global sporting events in today's uncertain, frayed times.
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
Hockey: Deepika's drag flicks give India hope of a late fightback but Australia prevail 3-2 in Pro League
India women's hockey team – like the men earlier in the day – went down against Australia 2-3 in the FIH Pro League but the storyline was slightly different in London compared to what transpired in Antwerp. While the men's team saw a 2-0 lead slip and lost to a late goal against their nemesis Kookaburras, Salima Tete's team mounted a late fightback after going down 3-0, and nearly scripted a solid comeback. But the end result was no points for India at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre on Saturday at the start of their European sojourn where they are in for a fight to stave off relegation from the Pro League. After going three goals down, India fought back through goals from Deepika (44′) and Neha (52′) – both resulting from Penalty Corner situations – but the Australians held their nerve in a fierce final quarter to secure the win. Courtney Schonell (16′), Lexie Pickering (27′) and Tatum Stewart (35′) registered goals for Australia. There was little to separate the two sides in a cagey opening quarter. India adopted a patient approach but were quick to apply pressure on the Australian defence. Australia earned a penalty corner in the 10th minute, but India held firm to deny them. India's best chance came late in the quarter, when a swift attacking move forced Australian goalkeeper Zoe Newman into a sharp double save. But the second quarter resembled a training ground exercise of attack vs defend as India couldn't lay a finger on the Hockeyroos at the other end of the pitch, constantly losing possession and putting the defence under pressure. As early as a minute into the second quarter, Schonell was at the end of a sharp pass from Grace Stewart and finished it with precision to give Australia the lead. In the 27th minute, a turnover from Navneet led to scrappy moments of play and a series of Australian shots on goal. Savita's reflexes held up against two consecutive shots but on the second rebound, Pickering slotted it past the Indian Goalkeeper to double Australia's lead. India were unable to create chances on goal before proceedings broke for half-time. Momentum stayed with Australia as five minutes into the third quarter, Australia earned another penalty corner as their relentless pressure tested the Indian defence. The initial attempt was bravely defended by Sunelita Toppo. However, the sequence led to another penalty corner, which evolved to a penalty stroke as the ball rebounded from Savita's save onto the body of Ishika Chaudhary on the line. India opted to swap goalies just for the stroke but Tatum Stewart stepped up and drilled it past goalkeeper Bichu Devi, extending Australia's lead to 3–0. India found much much-needed respite when they won a penalty corner with 68 seconds left in the quarter. Deepika was at the end of a crisp injection and flicked it in with precision to reduce the deficit to 1-3. The work Harendra Singh has been doing with the drag flickers was there to be seen in the finish. India came out with all guns blazing in the fourth quarter, spurred by their goal. The Indian attack won three consecutive penalty corners in the 46th minute, but the scores were unchanged. India now played with a strong sense of urgency and put Australia under immense pressure. Australia buckled in the 52nd minute when they conceded another penalty scorer. Deepika's low driven shot was well defended, but Neha pounced on the ball in the ensuing chaos and buried it with finesse at close range to make it 2-3. India looked to threaten with a series of quick moves, but the equaliser eluded them. In the dying embers of the match, silky stick work from Navneet helped her glide into the circle before she was brought down for another penalty corner. However, Australia retained the lead to secure the victory. Prior to the start of the match, both teams observed a minute's silence in memory of those who lost their lives in the recent aircraft tragedy in Ahmedabad.
