Philadelphia (AFP) – The opening week of the first 32-team FIFA Club World Cup in the United States has been played under a political shadow, while South American sides impress and some games struggle to attract fans. AFP Sport looks at some of the main talking points at the tournament so far:
**Political shadow**
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FIFA has faced criticism for their increasingly close links to US President Donald Trump and his administration. Ahead of the tournament, UEFA accused FIFA chief Gianni Infantino of prioritising “private political interests” after he turned up late for FIFA’s own congress because he met with Trump in the Middle East. Infantino was in the Oval Office again on Wednesday with a delegation from Juventus, as they shared an awkward exchange with Trump as he questioned them on transgender athletes.
“It was a bit weird,” said Juventus and USA forward Timothy Weah. “When he started talking about the politics with Iran and everything, it’s kind of, like…I just want to play football, man.” Meanwhile, some fans were worried by reports that ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement) officers were providing “security” at Club World Cup stadiums. Plainclothes ICE officers have been targeting what they say are “undocumented” migrants. To this point, they do not appear to have apprehended any match-going supporters.
**European teams not getting it all their own way**
Europe’s leading clubs are the richest in the world, and it would be a surprise if the winner of the inaugural 32-team Club World Cup came from a different continent. However, the evidence so far is that Europe’s representatives are not having it all their own way. Up to Friday, clubs from Europe had won only half of 16 games against opponents from other continents, with South America showing it can more than hold its own.
Paris Saint-Germain lost to Botafogo, while Chelsea were blown away by Flamengo. Real Madrid could not get the better of Saudi side Al-Hilal, but Europe sent far more clubs (12) than any other continent, and it still looks likely that over half of the teams in the last 16 will be European.
**Attendances hold up despite empty seats**
There has been a lot of talk about empty seats, with the low point being the attendance of 3,412 in Orlando for Mamelodi Sundowns against Ulsan HD. There were also barely 22,000 at Chelsea’s win over Los Angeles FC in Atlanta, leaving around 50,000 empty seats in the stadium in Atlanta. Yet the average attendance over the first seven days at the tournament was 36,135. That is higher than the average in La Liga, Serie A or Ligue 1 over the last season.
The games featuring South American teams have seen some incredible atmospheres, especially in Miami for Friday’s clash between Bayern Munich and Boca Juniors. “Amazing, amazing,” said Bayern coach Vincent Kompany when asked about the crowd, with passionate Boca fans making up the vast majority of the 63,587 attendance. “It is one of these things: if you are not here it is sometimes hard to understand, but being here is an experience, a privilege.”
**Waiting for the weather**
Several matches have been held up because of inclement weather. Common public safety protocols in the US mandate that outdoor sports events are suspended for at least 30 minutes if lightning or thunder is seen or heard in the nearby area. Two matches in Orlando, a regular location for tropical storms, have been suspended, while games in East Rutherford and Cincinnati have also been interrupted. National team coaches preparing for the 2026 World Cup must consider the best way to prepare their players to cope with such delays. Climate change has been linked to an increase in frequency and intensity of storms and extreme weather conditions.
**’Showbiz’ NBA-style walkouts**
Organisers have jumped on the chance to make each game a show in the style of a traditional American sporting event, including having players come out onto the field one by one as their names are announced, like in the NBA. “Why not bring it to the Premier League,” replied Chelsea’s Romeo Lavia when asked if it could become a thing in England. “It’s a bit of a showbiz thing, isn’t it? I quite like it.” Not everyone agrees with Lavia. “It’s a bit slow. I find it a bit strange. It seems like putting on a show for the sake of it. It seems a bit pointless,” said the Porto coach, Martin Anselmi.
© 2024 AFP
