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Messi was the rare bright spot of the tournament. |
Flashy on the outside, lacking in explosion on the inside
When the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup kicked off in the US on June 15, fans were expecting a real football feast. Lionel Messi took the field for Inter Miami in the opening match, and a host of legends such as Beckham, Kaka, Ronaldo, Baggio, Zanetti… appeared in the VIP stands at Hard Rock Stadium (Miami).
Although he did not score in the 0-0 draw between Inter Miami and Al Ahly (Egypt), Messi still succeeded in attracting tens of thousands of spectators to the stadium to watch his performance.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino and the organizing committee seemed pleased with the start. Mr. Infantino expressed his hope that the tournament will become increasingly hot with more goals, larger audiences and global appeal.
The FIFA Club World Cup is considered a "personal passion project" of the FIFA President, with the desire to bring the biggest names in football to the United States, the country co-hosting the 2026 World Cup.
From giving Inter Miami a wild card as the MLS champions (other continental teams had to go through the qualifiers), to declaring that “Cristiano Ronaldo can play”, increasing the prize money for the champions to 40 million USD or the most modern stadiums in the US, Mr. Infantino spared no effort to guarantee his statement: “This is the beginning of a historic journey that will change football forever". But after a few days, the echoes left behind were big questions.
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PSG players wear cooling towels after the 4-0 win over Atletico. |
Harsh schedule in the middle of American summer
Matches played in the afternoon or early afternoon in the middle of summer have left players struggling to cope with the heat, with PSG's match against Atletico Madrid at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena taking place in temperatures of 31°C.
PSG coach Luis Enrique admitted: "The temperature clearly affected the match". Midfielder Vitinha also added: "We played well in very difficult conditions".
"It was unbearable," Atletico midfielder Marcos Llorente said after the match. "It was incredibly hot. My toes and toenails were aching. But since everyone was playing in the same conditions, I have no complaints."
Each team has to compete densely with 3 group stage matches within 9 days, although not unusual in international tournaments, it causes a lot of controversy because the players have just gone through a stressful season in Europe, the Middle East, or have temporarily stopped the domestic tournament to compete.
The international players' union (FIFPro) has criticised the schedule as “inconsiderate of the physical, mental and social well-being of players”. It has warned of the risk of “burnout, injury, loss of form and shortened careers”.
However, FIFA kept the schedule as is, ignoring calls for adjustments.
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Bayern Munich crushed Auckland City 10-0. |
Class difference
Bayern Munich made history at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup by becoming the first team to score 10 goals in a single match, crushing Auckland City - a "semi-professional" team with many players working full-time off the pitch.
After just 21 minutes, Bayern were leading 4-0, turning the match into a real “practice match”. Coach Vincent Kompany even admitted: “The upcoming match against Boca Juniors is the real challenge”.
Auckland City are the reigning Oceania champions and are currently ranked 4,957th in the world . They will face two strong opponents in Benfica (ranked 24th) and Boca Juniors (ranked 131st) ahead.
Similar differences can recur when underdogs like Urawa Reds, Wydad Casablanca, Al Ain or Ulsan HD face off against the "big guys" from Europe and South America.
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Spectators were only sparse in the stands of the match between Ulsan Hyundai and Mamelodi Sundowns. |
The stands were empty.
If the opening match with Messi packed the Hard Rock Stadium or the confrontation between two European giants PSG and Atletico Madrid attracted 80,000 people at the Rose Bowl, most stadiums witnessed a desolate scene.
The Chelsea vs Los Angeles FC match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta) had only 22,137 spectators, less than 1/3 of the stadium's capacity of 75,000 seats. Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca frankly commented: "The atmosphere here is strange."
Similarly, Flamengo's match against Esperance de Tunis attracted only 25,797 people to Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia) with a capacity of 67,594 seats. Botafogo's match against Seattle Sounders at Lumen Field (Seattle) had only 30,151 spectators, despite a capacity of 68,740 seats.
Even MetLife Stadium, the venue for the final, was only 56.1% full for Palmeiras’ game against Porto (46,275 out of a total capacity of 82,500). Worst of all, Ulsan Hyundai’s game against Mamelodi Sundowns saw just 600 spectators at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, well below its 25,500 capacity.
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Source: https://tienphong.vn/fifa-club-world-cup-2025-khi-giac-mo-toan-cau-hoa-doi-mat-hien-thuc-phu-phang-post1752618.tpo
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