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Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
From heat to unrest: how five major Club World Cup storylines are shaping up
The Club World Cup is into the second round of games in the group stage, with matches across the United States showing off all that was hotly anticipated about this newly expanded tournament, as well as a few concerns. Here's a breakdown of five major storylines we were keeping track of before the games, and where we stand. Attendances Your view on how well-attended these games have been depends heavily on your perspective. Empty seats have been visible, sometimes in great numbers, at nearly every game (none of which have been sellouts). That said, the raw attendance numbers have not been half-bad, considering that many kick-off times have fallen at noon or 3pm during work days. Advertisement There have been 20 games at the Club World Cup so far. The average attendance has been 35,525. The median is about the same. About 730,000 tickets have been sold or distributed for these matches. All of these are reasonably solid figures. On the other hand, the stadiums have, on average, been about 55% full. The median percentage of capacity used – a figure that gives less weight to outliers such as the 3,142 who attended Mamelodi Sundowns v Ulsan in Orlando – is 45%. With a few exceptions, the tournament is being playing in massive NFL stadiums, and that means a lot of empty seats. The environments, though, have largely been very good. South American fans in particular have brought it, with Brazilians in New York and Argentinians in Miami creating noisy and invested atmospheres that seem right at home at a tournament with the World Cup name. Thanks to the massiveness of these stadiums, though, the optics are not always the best. Heat and weather It's been hot at times, but the tournament has also been lucky so far in that many cities, especially New York, have been experiencing cooler-than-normal temperatures over the past week. The most notable exception was Paris Saint-Germain v Atlético Madrid at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, where the heat combined with crowd control issues and a lack of water contributed to what the Guardian was told was a 'dangerous' environment for fans. It wasn't comfortable for the players either. Advertisement 'Playing in this heat is impossible,' Atlético's Marcos Llorente said after. 'The heat is terrible. My toes hurt, even my toenails … We are adapting to the heat of playing at these hours … no one in Europe is used to it.' The next several days will see more of these situations. A brutal heatwave is set to hit much of the eastern United States starting on Friday, covering many of the stadiums where the remaining games will be played. Evening kick-offs will be hot but theoretically bearable once the sun is down. The problematic games will be those that kick off in the afternoon local time – there are 14 of those left in the group stage, including six that start at noon, when the heat will probably be at its worst in the direct sunlight. And that's without even getting into weather delays. Already, there have been three weather-related delays – mostly for lightning as thunderstorms have gathered amid the humid weather. There is very little Fifa can do about those, of course – but it's a trend worth keeping an eye on. There is a chance, of course, the delays could disrupt the simultaneous kick-offs in the group finales. Political unrest The opening matches of this tournament were awash with reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) and/or Customs and Border Protection officers would be present at games and looking to continue their public raids, which have been met with counterprotests across the country. That has yet to happen. Advertisement Make no mistake, security is high at these games, as they are at any major sporting event in the United States. But there haven't been any reported attempts at mass arrests as there have been in other places around the country. That is not to say politics, world events and the tournament haven't overlapped. Mehdi Taremi, Inter's Iran striker, has been forced to miss the tournament after being stuck in Tehran after Israel's attacks on the city. And this week Fifa's president, Gianni Infantino, and a delegation from Juventus (including the US internationals Weston McKennie and Tim Weah) stood in the Oval Office as Trump answered questions about a potential war with Iran and awkwardly asked the players if women could play for Juventus (a reference to the right-wing talking point about trans women in women's sports). Club performances On the field, the story of the tournament so far has been the performance of South American clubs. Teams representing Conmebol have not lost, the only undefeated confederation remaining after one matchday in every group. They've achieved some pretty big results along the way – including Botafogo's 1-0 win over the reigning Champions League winners PSG on Thursday night, and River Plate's 2-2 draw with Benfica. Advertisement Asian and Oceanian teams are having far less fun. The confederations' five teams have yet to win, with Auckland City suffering a 10-0 demolition by Bayern Munich. The lone bright spot for Asian clubs was Al-Hilal's 1-1 draw with Real Madrid – a game in which the Saudi Pro League side looked every bit Madrid's equals in Xabi Alonso's first game in charge. Generally speaking, and in line with past editions of the Club World Cup, the so-called 'smaller' teams are the ones bringing real life to this party, while most Uefa teams are waiting for their first big challenge. The final group games and knockouts should be plenty of fun. Standout players It's a bit early to say anyone is making a case for the Golden Ball given most teams have played one game, but a few players have stood out. Advertisement One, unsurprisingly, is Lionel Messi. The Inter Miami superstar is a player Fifa bent over backwards to get into the tournament, awarding Miami a 'host nation' slot after they failed to qualify through other means. That decision has paid off. Messi is 37 and has clearly slowed a little, but he remains capable of delivering in big moments, as he did with a winning free-kick goal against Porto. Pretty much all of Bayern stand out after that ridiculous scoreline, even if it came against amateur opposition. Jamal Musiala has the early claim on the Golden Boot, having scored a hat-trick in that game. For Manchester City, Phil Foden got off on the right foot with a goal and an assist against Wydad, and Chelsea's new signing Liam Delap made a positive impact on his debut, a 2-0 win over LAFC. Kylian Mbappé, meanwhile, has been a notable absence, having been briefly in hospital this week with gastroenteritis.
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
From heat to unrest: how five major Club World Cup storylines are shaping up
The Club World Cup is into the second round of games in the group stage, with matches across the United States showing off all that was hotly anticipated about this newly expanded tournament, as well as a few concerns. Here's a breakdown of five major storylines we were keeping track of before the games, and where we stand. Your view on how well-attended these games have been depends heavily on your perspective. Empty seats have been visible, sometimes in great numbers, at nearly every game (none of which have been sellouts). That said, the raw attendance numbers have not been half-bad, considering that many kick-off times have fallen at noon or 3pm during work days. There have been 20 games at the Club World Cup so far. The average attendance has been 35,525. The median is about the same. About 730,000 tickets have been sold or distributed for these matches. All of these are reasonably solid figures. On the other hand, the stadiums have, on average, been about 55% full. The median percentage of capacity used – a figure that gives less weight to outliers such as the 3,142 who attended Mamelodi Sundowns v Ulsan in Orlando – is 45%. With a few exceptions, the tournament is being playing in massive NFL stadiums, and that means a lot of empty seats. The environments, though, have largely been very good. South American fans in particular have brought it, with Brazilians in New York and Argentinians in Miami creating noisy and invested atmospheres that seem right at home at a tournament with the World Cup name. Thanks to the massiveness of these stadiums, though, the optics are not always the best. It's been hot at times, but the tournament has also been lucky so far in that many cities, especially New York, have been experiencing cooler-than-normal temperatures over the past week. The most notable exception was Paris Saint-Germain v Atlético Madrid at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, where the heat combined with crowd control issues and a lack of water contributed to what the Guardian was told was a 'dangerous' environment for fans. It wasn't comfortable for the players either. 'Playing in this heat is impossible,' Atlético's Marcos Llorente said after. 'The heat is terrible. My toes hurt, even my toenails … We are adapting to the heat of playing at these hours … no one in Europe is used to it.' The next several days will see more of these situations. A brutal heatwave is set to hit much of the eastern United States starting on Friday, covering many of the stadiums where the remaining games will be played. Evening kick-offs will be hot but theoretically bearable once the sun is down. The problematic games will be those that kick off in the afternoon local time – there are 14 of those left in the group stage, including six that start at noon, when the heat will probably be at its worst in the direct sunlight. And that's without even getting into weather delays. Already, there have been three weather-related delays – mostly for lightning as thunderstorms have gathered amid the humid weather. There is very little Fifa can do about those, of course – but it's a trend worth keeping an eye on. There is a chance, of course, the delays could disrupt the simultaneous kick-offs in the group finales. The opening matches of this tournament were awash with reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) and/or Customs and Border Protection officers would be present at games and looking to continue their public raids, which have been met with counterprotests across the country. That has yet to happen. Make no mistake, security is high at these games, as they are at any major sporting event in the United States. But there haven't been any reported attempts at mass arrests as there have been in other places around the country. That is not to say politics, world events and the tournament haven't overlapped. Mehdi Taremi, Inter's Iran striker, has been forced to miss the tournament after being stuck in Tehran after Israel's attacks on the city. And this week Fifa's president, Gianni Infantino, and a delegation from Juventus (including the US internationals Weston McKennie and Tim Weah) stood in the Oval Office as Trump answered questions about a potential war with Iran and awkwardly asked the players if women could play for Juventus (a reference to the right-wing talking point about trans women in women's sports). On the field, the story of the tournament so far has been the performance of South American clubs. Teams representing Conmebol have not lost, the only undefeated confederation remaining after one matchday in every group. They've achieved some pretty big results along the way – including Botafogo's 1-0 win over the reigning Champions League winners PSG on Thursday night, and River Plate's 2-2 draw with Benfica. Asian and Oceanian teams are having far less fun. The confederations' five teams have yet to win, with Auckland City suffering a 10-0 demolition by Bayern Munich. The lone bright spot for Asian clubs was Al-Hilal's 1-1 draw with Real Madrid – a game in which the Saudi Pro League side looked every bit Madrid's equals in Xabi Alonso's first game in charge. Generally speaking, and in line with past editions of the Club World Cup, the so-called 'smaller' teams are the ones bringing real life to this party, while most Uefa teams are waiting for their first big challenge. The final group games and knockouts should be plenty of fun. It's a bit early to say anyone is making a case for the Golden Ball given most teams have played one game, but a few players have stood out. One, unsurprisingly, is Lionel Messi. The Inter Miami superstar is a player Fifa bent over backwards to get into the tournament, awarding Miami a 'host nation' slot after they failed to qualify through other means. That decision has paid off. Messi is 37 and has clearly slowed a little, but he remains capable of delivering in big moments, as he did with a winning free-kick goal against Porto. Pretty much all of Bayern stand out after that ridiculous scoreline, even if it came against amateur opposition. Jamal Musiala has the early claim on the Golden Boot, having scored a hat-trick in that game. For Manchester City, Phil Foden got off on the right foot with a goal and an assist against Wydad, and Chelsea's new signing Liam Delap made a positive impact on his debut, a 2-0 win over LAFC. Kylian Mbappé, meanwhile, has been a notable absence, having been briefly in hospital this week with gastroenteritis.
TimesLIVE
4 hours ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Buckley advises Sundowns to be physical against old team Dortmund
Bafana Bafana legend Delron Buckley believes Mamelodi Sundowns can spring a surprise against his former team, Borussia Dortmund, and advised the Tshwane giants to stick to their style of play with a lot of physicality thrown in. Sundowns and Dortmund meet in their second Fifa Club World Cup Group F clash at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday (noon in Ohio, 6pm SA time). Downs head into the clash high on morale after beating South Korean side Ulsan 1-0 in their opener on Tuesday night to move top of the pool. German heavyweights Dortmund drew 0-0 against Brazilian side Fluminense. Sundowns' win over Ulsan was the first by an African side at the newly-expanded 32-team Club World Cup in the US. 𝐀𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐀 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 🌍 Our Club Chairman, Tlhopie Motsepe, met with FIFA President Gianni Infantino. A meeting that highlights the growing impact of African football on the world stage. 🙌 Watch the full video now on our YouTube Channel.… — Mamelodi Sundowns FC (@Masandawana) June 19, 2025 Buckley, who made more than 50 appearances in a Dortmund shirt between 2005 and 2009, believes Downs have it in them to shock Bundesliga giants Borussia. 'I think Sundowns can surprise Dortmund and get something out of this game,' he said. They need to get their facts right about Dortmund. 'They must be very, very physical because Dortmund are a German team and are very physical and when they're in possession everything is quick. 'I think Sundowns should also play like they do in the PSL because their style of play has proven effective, so why must they change it? They must not try to sit back, they must be fearless and play their quick-passing game in tight spaces like they normally do.' 𝗡𝗢 𝗗𝗡𝗔, 𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗦𝗔 🇿🇦 Congratulations to Masandawana on their first historic #FIFACWC win 🙌 Catch the @FIFACWC | June 14 - July 13 | Every game. Free. | | #FIFACWC #TakeItToTheWorld — DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) June 18, 2025 Sundowns' workaholic central midfield pairing of Teboho Mokoena and Chilean Marcelo Allende may have to put in a good shift and get stuck in if the Brazilians are to be competitive against Borussia. Downs' introduction to the old seven-team Club World Cup in Osaka in 2016 saw something of a baptism of fire, being dismantled 2-0 by host Japanese club Kashima Antlers and 4-1 by Korea's Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. That the Brazilians beat an Asian team this time will spur their confidence that they are a club growing in competitiveness internationally, thanks mainly to their near-decade of strong performances in the Caf Champions League since they won it in 2016.
The South African
5 hours ago
- Climate
- The South African
Blow for Africa as Al Ahly beaten at Club World Cup
Palmeiras drew first blood in Club World Cup Group A with a 2-0 victory over Al Ahly on Thursday in New Jersey. The match was suspended in the 63rd minute because of a weather warning, with players and fans at the MetLife Stadium instructed to 'take shelter' because of a nearby storm. Palmeiras were leading by two goals at the time, with a Wessam Abou Ali own goal sending the Brazilians ahead in the 49th minute before Flaco Lopez doubled their lead on the Egyptians 10 minutes later. Victory took Palmeiras top on four points, with the other three sides level on one point each – as at the full-time whistle. It was the third match at the tournament affected by adverse weather at the tournament. On Tuesday, Mamelodi Sundowns game against Ulsan HD was suspended just before kick-off for just over an hour due to a weather alert. Then on Wednesday RB Salzburg's match against Pachuca was suspended in the second half for 97 minutes because of a storm. Palmeiras, led by talented youngster Estevao Willian, who is set to join Chelsea, played well but were held by Porto in their opening clash. Al Ahly kept them at bay in a tight first half, in which English referee Anthony Taylor sent off Palmeiras midfielder Raphael Veiga for a foul on Ahmed Zizo, before overturning his decision following a VAR review. Palestinian striker Abou Ali headed Anibal Moreno's free-kick into his own net to hand Palmeiras the lead. Lopez finished coolly for the Brazilians' second after Mauricio played him through on goal. After the suspension of around 45 minutes for the weather warning, Palmeiras played out the remainder of the match comfortably without risking their advantage. South American sides have come into the tournament strongly, in good condition given they are in the middle of their domestic seasons, and have stayed unbeaten to this point. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news. By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse
RTÉ News
6 hours ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
PSG stunned by Botafogo defeat at Club World Cup
Brazil's Botafogo withstood waves of attacks from Paris St Germain to stun the European champions 1-0 and throw Group B at the Club World Cup wide open. PSG dominated possession at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena but Botafogo's resolute defence stood tall in the first competitive meeting between the two clubs. The goal came in the 36th minute when Botafogo gained possession in midfield and Jefferson Savarino slid a pass through for Igor Jesus to run in on goal. Jesus outmaneuvered two defenders and his shot deflected off the leg of PSG's Willian Pacho, the ball changing direction and leaving goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma flatfooted and only able to watch as the ball skipped into the net. Jesus celebrated by hopping over the barrier and was mobbed by delirious Botafogo fans. PSG continued to be the aggressors in the second half as Botafogo were content to protect their lead and try to capitalize on the break. PSG, who had scored 19 goals in their last five matches, had the ball in the net in the 79th minute but the goal was chalked off for offside and Botafogo held for the shock win. The Brazilians became the first team to stop PSG scoring since March when Liverpool defeated them 1-0 in the Champions League. The French side had scored in 19 consecutive games until losing on Thursday. Botafogo coach Renato Paiva said his team had beaten PSG at their own game. "Being a great team, playing together, all the guys defending, all the guys attacking, and that's the big secret of this PSG team, that's why they compete and win," he said. "They are a fantastic team. I said this, PSG are a lesson to everybody nowadays in football. And I told my guys, just be a team, enjoy playing together, attack together, defend together, and enjoy. And they did they did it. Fantastic." PSG were once again without Ousmane Dembele, who suffered an injury while playing for France in the UEFA Nations League earlier this month The victory gives the South American champions a huge boost in their hopes of advancing to the knockout rounds after they beat MLS side Seattle Sounders 2-1 in their opener. PSG, who thrashed Atletico Madrid 4-0 in their first match, will look to bounce back against the Sounders on Monday while Botafogo are back at the Rose Bowl again to take on Atletico the same day. Brazil's four teams at the 32-club tournament are unbeaten so far and Paiva said it showed the strength of the game in the South American nation. "I think it's the quality of Brazilian players, the quality of what people are doing in Brazil, especially the coaches," he said.
