Club World Cup first-week takeaways: Uneven attendance, sweltering heat

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is disconnected and moving and has produced plentifulness of talking points and storylines already. Let's drawback you up connected what's happening, what you've missed and what's inactive to come.

We volition update this record passim each matchday with the latest reporting, investigation and amusive from the competition, truthful cheque backmost regularly for the latest quality arsenic we travel the amusive starring up to the tournament final astatine MetLife Stadium connected July 13.

The lead: What did we like, dislike astir Club World Cup's archetypal week?

We're done the archetypal afloat week of the 2025 contention successful its caller and expanded form, truthful we thought we would inquire our reporters for their thoughts, bully and bad, connected proceedings truthful far.

Rob Dawson: A coagulated start, with immoderate increasing pains

My wide impressions of the tourney are positive. Attendances (in general) person been good, clubs person fielded beardown teams, and determination person been eye-catching upsets acknowledgment to Botafogo beating Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami rallying to decision Porto. It's important that European teams don't person it each their ain way, adjacent if yet it volition beryllium a immense daze if 1 of them doesn't triumph it.

Speaking to sources astatine FIFA and antithetic clubs, the connection that keeps coming backmost is that we should retrieve this is simply a archetypal effort astatine an expanded Club World Cup. The feeling from executives is that determination are going to beryllium archetypal problems, but attitudes toward the contention could beryllium overmuch antithetic successful the future.

That said, determination are decidedly lessons to beryllium learned. There has been a feeling successful immoderate big cities that the wide nationalist doesn't cognize games are being played. A spot much disposable advertizing would spell a agelong way. It's pugnacious for shot to vie with the Major League Baseball season, the Stanley Cup Final and the NBA Finals, but it would beryllium bully to spot much games being shown successful sports bars -- adjacent if it's lone to make a casual familiarity. Maybe it'll alteration arsenic we get deeper into the tournament, erstwhile the quarterfinals could propulsion up fixtures specified arsenic Real Madrid against Manchester City oregon Boca Juniors against Bayern Munich.

Given each the questions and statement astir the Club World Cup, it has been a affirmative archetypal week. It astatine slightest feels similar it's gathering toward thing significant, which is each you tin inquire for aft the opening games.

Gab Marcotti: Uncharted waters, but afloat buy-in from clubs

The taxable going into this tourney was that cipher knew what to expect. Would the big federation beryllium into it? Would it get mainstream media attention? Would fans question to games? Would stadiums merchantability out? Would Europe's large boys instrumentality it earnestly oregon dainty it similar a preseason circuit successful the postseason? Given that these teams virtually ne'er play each different successful competitory games, what's the existent gulf successful quality, not conscionable betwixt Europe and the rest, but between, say, Africa and Asia, Concacaf and CONMEBOL?

It has been amusive getting those answers. And based connected precise constricted archetypal impressions, we tin gully immoderate aboriginal conclusions.

It hasn't truly captured the big nation's imagination, perchance due to the fact that it was competing with the NBA Finals and the Stanley Cup Final, perchance due to the fact that shot is successful afloat plaything and perchance due to the fact that the Gold Cup is connected astatine the aforesaid time. You don't spot endless soccer-related ads connected TV, arsenic you bash with the World Cup. There is small signage connected the streets, and if you're not already a fan, it's astir apt not connected your radar. It apt matters that 3 retired of 4 games each time person been connected DAZN, a broadcaster that requires a abstracted subscription and that astir Americans astir apt haven't heard of, but for immoderate boxing fans. We unrecorded successful an property of streaming, and the hardcore instrumentality volition spell to immoderate lengths they request to, but the casual instrumentality inactive relies connected the clicker to suck them into the unknown.

European teams are taking this seriously, though they've understandably been rotating players aft a agelong season. So has beauteous overmuch everybody else. It remains to beryllium seen whether it's the information that everyone's going connected vacation erstwhile this is over, truthful asking players to propulsion a small harder isn't a dense lift, oregon due to the fact that the immense prize wealth is capable of a carrot. But cipher appears to beryllium mailing it in. The prime portion is interesting, too. Again, based connected precise constricted data, cipher looks retired of place, with the notable objection of Auckland City. Nobody is getting shellacked, and we've had European heavyweights stopped successful their tracks by CONMEBOL sides (just inquire Chelsea). From that perspective, we got what we wanted: credible games.

We're inactive successful uncharted waters, and it's inactive precise early. There's a ton to look astatine and see if we bash this again successful 4 years, arsenic FIFA plans to do. As a precursor to the World Cup itself, it's beauteous overmuch worthless: That's conscionable a antithetic animal. But for a maiden voyage, it's "so far, truthful good."

James Olley: Too galore matches and uneven interest

There was virtually nary grounds beforehand that an appetite for a 32-team summertime nine tourney existed, and the archetypal week has shown why. This is simply a contention that has imaginable and could turn into thing much fashionable successful time, but the leap from six teams and 7 matches -- the format successful 2023 erstwhile Manchester City won -- to this is excessively great. The tourney feels excessively bloated astatine the moment, particularly successful a saturated U.S. sports market. To basal retired successful that environment, each crippled needs to matter, and a 16-team format would person trimmed the abdominous considerably.

You can't easy find the games on, adjacent successful galore sports bars. The advertizing successful Atlanta, for example, was astir nonexistent astir Chelsea's clash with LAFC past weekend, but determination person been agleam moments. As Rob says, Inter Miami and Botafogo winning against the likelihood is the benignant of accomplishment that carves retired a lasting spot for the tourney successful the minds of fans. The much that happens, the much it finds a home.

The Brazilian supporters person fixed games -- and the cities hosting them -- a due tourney vibe. Their passionateness is infectious, and the tendency to tackle Europe's champion is arguably the Club World Cup's champion selling constituent -- Wydad AC's traveling enactment was besides large against Manchester City.

Interest volition nary uncertainty summation arsenic the knockout rounds begin, and the amended matches instrumentality spot much consistently. FIFA tin besides beryllium forgiven assorted problems with logistics and ticketing successful the discourse of this being thing of a formal rehearsal for adjacent year's World Cup.

Ultimately, there's a batch of cynicism towards the competition, and portion determination are assorted reasons for that, it is hard not to deliberation if FIFA president Gianni Infantino was a much transparent individual, radical would beryllium much consenting to clasp it.

Alex Kirkland: Scorching vigor overshadows prime connected pitch

Your acquisition astatine this tourney volition alteration wildly depending connected which games you're attending. Sunday's tilt betwixt Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid felt similar a big, showpiece event, with the tournament's grounds attendance truthful acold -- 80,619 -- and an eye-catching show from Luis Enrique's broadside successful a 4-0 win.

Unfortunately, those positives person been overshadowed by stories astir however uncomfortable, and perchance dangerous, the conditions were for fans astatine the Rose Bowl acknowledgment to the midday commencement and implicit deficiency of shade. The kickoff clip had been selected for the payment of fans backmost location successful Europe, not those sweating successful the stands successful Pasadena, California -- possibly an penetration into the organizers' priorities.

Wednesday's crippled betwixt Real Madrid and Al Hilal besides felt similar a large occasion. The attendance astatine Hard Rock Stadium successful Miami Gardens, Florida -- 62,415, adjacent to a sellout -- was unsurprising fixed that Madrid gully immense crowds everywhere, adjacent much truthful successful places with important Latino communities specified arsenic South Florida. That we saw the Saudi Pro League squad origin important accent for 1 of the game's elite teams, afloat deserving a 1-1 draw, made it adjacent better.

Having attended a crippled astatine the aforesaid stadium a twelvemonth agone for the Copa América, it's notable conscionable however overmuch has been learned from information problems astatine that tournament. A much-expanded information perimeter present surrounds Hard Rock Stadium; you can't get anyplace adjacent to it without a ticket. That's not to accidental determination aren't inactive issues -- notably getting distant afterward, with postulation astir the stadium gridlocked hours aft the crippled finished -- but that is becoming portion of the experience.

Overall, the games person been amusive and surprising, though it volition beryllium important to the competition's occurrence and semipermanent viability for respective non-European teams to advancement to the knockout stages. But of course, being present successful the U.S., there's 1 inescapable fact: Away from the tourney bubble, hardly anybody has the slightest thought that the Club World Cup is taking place.

Lizzy Becherano: Traveling fans bring magic to Club World Cup

Fans filled Hard Rock Stadium successful Miami Gardens, Florida, connected June 14 for the inaugural crippled of the 2025 Club World Cup betwixt Al Ahly and Inter Miami. Most radical went for the emotion of the sport, less successful loyal enactment of either of the clubs. It wasn't until Boca Juniors played astatine the venue that the tourney began to instrumentality shape, and the existent magic of the crippled could beryllium heard successful the stands.

Boca Juniors supporters flocked to Miami to ticker the Argentine nine debut successful the tourney against Benfica, bringing flags, signs and instruments to springiness North America a sensation of La Bombonera. The media container trembled arsenic fans jumped unneurotic successful cleanable unison portion chanting "Dale, Dale Bo," portion yellowish and bluish banners hung implicit the railing to screen the Miami Dolphins' ringing of honor.

The vigor and ambiance lone intensified erstwhile Boca Juniors played their 2nd group-stage lucifer against Bayern Munich connected Friday night. This time, fans didn't conscionable instrumentality implicit the 100, 200 and 300 level sections down 1 of the goals. Boca Juniors supporters managed a implicit takeover of Hard Rock Stadium, with lone a fewer reddish Bayern Munich jerseys interrupting the oversea of bold yellowish and bluish seen throughout. Harry Kane described the ambiance arsenic 1 of the champion successful his career.

Thousands made the travel from Argentina to Miami to beryllium their level of loyalty to the badge. But for others, the accidental to ticker Boca Juniors successful the United States took connected different peculiar meaning. One family, who immigrated to the United States from Argentina successful the aboriginal 2000s, gathered unneurotic and watched their squad vie successful the United States for the archetypal clip to get a much-needed sensation of location 4,400 miles away.

"Boca Juniors is simply a generational household affair. Our grandma went to games passim her life, truthful continuing that contented successful the United States means staying connected with our roots," Sharon Perlmutter said.

Those Argentinian Boca Juniors fans surviving successful South Florida and crossed the United States were momentarily transported to La Bombonera to relive and beryllium reminded of the magic of soccer. With the tourney inactive successful the radical stage, determination is overmuch much to beryllium seen and heard.

Today's apical Club World Cup stories

• Brazil expresses involvement successful hosting Club World Cup successful 2029
• CWC permutations: How each squad tin advance
• Kane lauds Club World Cup: 'Loving this tournament'

Sights and sounds astir Club World Cup

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Maresca: We knew Flamengo were a bully team

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca reacts to Chelsea's astonishing 3-1 nonaccomplishment to Flamengo successful the Club World Cup.

Chelsea's daze nonaccomplishment creates logistical headache

Chelsea's astonishment decision to Flamengo has created further logistical complications for the club, successful summation to caller uncertainty implicit their qualification from Group D.

After playing their archetypal crippled successful Atlanta, the Blues are successful the midst of a agelong spell successful Philadelphia, with their last 2 group-stage matches taking spot astatine Lincoln Financial Field. Had they won the group, Chelsea's program was to alert to Miami aft Tuesday's finale against Esperance Sportive de Tunis for different four-day grooming artifact earlier their round-of-16 clash connected Sunday. However, LAFC's decision Friday means Flamengo are confirmed arsenic radical winners, truthful Chelsea present volition play their round-of-16 necktie successful Charlotte, North Carolina, if they debar decision against Esperance. That crippled successful Charlotte is 24 hours earlier -- connected Saturday -- triggering an interior statement implicit whether Chelsea inactive spell to Miami arsenic planned oregon reroute and find a basal successful Charlotte.

Sources told ESPN that Chelsea person decided to spell to Miami anyway, adjacent though they would person conscionable 1 afloat time determination earlier flying to Charlotte connected Friday (an approximate two-hour journey) to fulfill prematch obligations connected Friday. Tournaments tin often propulsion up the unexpected, but if Chelsea are uncovering adapting to conditions somewhat difficult, finishing 2nd successful the radical volition astir apt not help. -- Olley

How to bushed Madrid? Pachuca's manager tin look to his ain past

Pachuca manager Jaime Lozano knows precisely what it takes to bushed Real Madrid. He's done it before. And not conscionable that: helium did it astatine the Santiago Bernabéu, against 1 of Madrid's astir celebrated sides, featuring Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, Luis Figo and Michael Owen. That was successful 2004. Lozano was playing for Mexico's Pumas erstwhile they travelled to Spain for the Bernabéu Trophy -- Real Madrid's ain preseason tourney -- and won 1-0.

What's the secret? And has helium shared it with his players up of tomorrow's crippled successful Charlotte, North Carolina? "They were galácticos, the champion squad successful the world," Lozano told journalists astatine his pre-match quality league connected Saturday, smiling astatine the thought of a precious memory. "But successful 90 minutes, thing tin happen. If you truly believe, each of you, not conscionable 1 oregon 2 [players], things tin happen, conscionable similar they did successful 2004."

This is simply a large planetary tournament, not a friendly. But we've already seen European sides struggle: Monterrey drew with Inter, Botafogo bushed PSG, and Flamengo bushed Chelsea. So wherefore not Pachuca against Real Madrid? "It's not astir going toe-to-toe with them," Lozano said. "It's astir knowing their strengths and weaknesses. There are nary unbeatable teams, we've already seen that here." -- Kirkland

Club World Cup has Brazilian fans dreaming

From a Brazilian journalist's perspective, the FIFA Club World Cup is the champion quality successful a agelong clip for shot successful the greenish and yellowish country.

The contention is intelligibly overlooked by Europeans. The wide readying is acold from spectacular. The bare stadiums are precise disturbing. But look astatine what the Club World Cup means to Brazilians: The country's 4 teams are undefeated. If 2 had made it to the circular of 16, that would person been bully enough. Now, each 4 could beforehand -- and each are leaders of their groups. No South American squad had beaten a European squad successful FIFA nine competitions since 2012. Now, Botafogo person beaten PSG, Flamengo person crushed Chelsea, and Fluminense were overmuch amended than Dortmund.

Brazilian fans are afloat engaged successful the competition. Thousands traveled to the U.S. from Brazil, contempt however costly it is to spell to the United States today. They celebrate, they instrumentality to the streets of New York and different cities, and debar causing fights oregon immoderate benignant of trouble.

Brazilian pridefulness successful the athletics had simply deed stone bottom. In this Club World Cup, astatine slightest for a week, Brazil is erstwhile again dreaming of being the "country of football." -- Paulo Cobos, ESPN Brazil

Match previews, likelihood for Sunday

Juventus vs. Wydad AC (Group G; Philadelphia, Noon ET)

Odds (via ESPN BET): Juventus (-300), Draw (+400), Wydad AC (+750)

Juventus volition look to wrapper up qualifying with a triumph implicit Wydad up of their last group-stage clash with Manchester City. Randal Kolo Muani is favored to commencement again up front, though determination volition beryllium abstraction for Dusan Vlahovic astatine immoderate point. Vlahovic has a twelvemonth near connected his contract, and it's the classical lawsuit of transferring him retired oregon getting him to widen his declaration (and apt taking a wage cut). There's a batch of cat-and-mouse going connected and, according to reports, if Juve find him a home, they're prepared to determination for Victor Osimhen, though that woody excessively would beryllium complicated.

As for Wydad, they were amended than the 2-0 scoreline against Manchester City suggests and they cognize each excessively good that they'll request astatine slightest a constituent present if they are to person a changeable astatine advancing. -- Marcotti

Real Madrid vs. Pachuca (Group H; Charlotte, N.C., 3 p.m. ET)

Odds: Real Madrid (-330), Draw (+450), Pachuca (+700)

After drafting with Al Hilal successful their opening crippled successful Group H, Madrid request to bushed Pachuca to get backmost connected track. And they'll person to bash truthful without Kylian Mbappé, who is inactive recovering from gastroenteritis and hasn't travelled to Charlotte, staying down astatine Madrid's grooming basal successful Palm Beach. In his absence, young guardant Gonzalo García -- who scored the lone extremity against Al Hilal, and played good wide -- is expected to support his place.

Madrid and Pachuca met backmost successful December successful the Intercontinental Cup final, erstwhile Madrid won comfortably 3-0. A repetition show and effect would enactment Madrid successful a beardown presumption to advancement to the knockout phase, and marque it 2 retired of 2 defeats for Pachuca, who mislaid 2-1 to Salzburg connected Wednesday. -- Alex Kirkland

RB Salzburg vs. Al Hilal (Group H; Washington, D.C., 6 p.m. ET)

Odds: RB Salzburg (+290), Draw (+270), Al Hilal (-115)

Al Hilal were liable for 1 of the galore astonishing results of the archetypal circular of matches, emerging with a 1-1 gully against mighty Real Madrid. Rúben Neves scored the punishment footwear that tied the crippled earlier the archetypal half, and goalkeeper Yassine Bounou saved a 92nd-minute punishment from Federico Valverde to contradict the Spanish giants a victory. With a squad that includes erstwhile European standouts specified arsenic Neves, João Cancelo and Kalidou Koulibaly, Al Hilal should present consciousness they are susceptible of taking connected immoderate nine successful this tournament.

After a hard play for RB Salzburg successful the Austrian Bundesliga (relative to caller years), they got their Club World Cup run disconnected to a bully commencement connected Wednesday with a 2-1 triumph implicit Pachuca, though adjacent that didn't travel easy. Pachuca outshot them 17-10, and the expected-goals totals were slanted likewise (1.40 to 0.91 successful favour of Pachuca), but Karim Onisiwo came disconnected the seat to nett the victor successful the 76th minute. Head manager Thomas Letsch & Co. volition beryllium hoping for a much convincing show this clip around. -- Nicholas Som

Manchester City vs. Al Ain (Group G; Atlanta, 9 p.m. ET)

Odds: Man City (-1000), Draw (+800), Al Ain (+1700)

Manchester City are trying to easiness themselves into this tournament. Pep Guardiola fielded a squad with an mean property of 24.3 successful the archetypal crippled against Wydad AC -- the 2nd youngest successful the archetypal circular of matches, down RB Salzburg. He's acceptable to marque arsenic galore arsenic 10 changes against Al Ain successful Atlanta connected Sunday to guarantee astir each of his players get immoderate crippled clip earlier their important past group-stage crippled against Juventus successful Orlando, Florida.

Al Ain were thumped by Juventus successful their archetypal crippled truthful City shouldn't person immoderate problems careless of the squad picked by Guardiola. There could beryllium a archetypal commencement for caller left-back Rayan Aït-Nouri, signed from Wolves up of the tournament, and Erling Haaland. The Norway striker looked a small rusty erstwhile helium came backmost from wounded astatine the extremity of past season, but got goals against Italy and Estonia portion connected planetary work earlier traveling to the U.S. -- Rob Dawson