{"id":656559,"date":"2025-07-06T01:07:26","date_gmt":"2025-07-06T05:07:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/?p=656559"},"modified":"2025-07-06T01:57:26","modified_gmt":"2025-07-06T05:57:26","slug":"is-the-2025-fifa-club-world-cup-a-turning-point-for-world-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2025\/07\/06\/is-the-2025-fifa-club-world-cup-a-turning-point-for-world-football\/","title":{"rendered":"Is the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup a Turning Point for World Football?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2025\/07\/05\/club-world-cup-semifinal-predictions-including-psg-vs-real-madrid\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">down to the final four<\/a>. Three of those teams are European giants\u2014Paris Saint-Germain face Real Madrid, while Chelsea are favored in their semifinal\u2014joined by one surprise: Brazilian side Fluminense, who have ridden their luck once again. Fluminense, the 2023 Club World Cup finalists, get another shot at a Premier League team, having lost to Manchester City in the last final.<\/p>\n<p>Three of the four semifinalists are expected. Real Madrid remains Europe\u2019s most successful international club. PSG, reigning UEFA Champions League winners, have flourished under Luis Enrique. Chelsea, buoyed by their UEFA Conference League title, are eyeing a second Club World Cup crown after defeating Palmeiras in 2022.<\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/2222915330\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 66.66667% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/2222915330?et=8R-6lBcHQi9F75i41Jvu1w&amp;tld=com&amp;sig=qozWCwH2MkYuk03PTmrToqhuCGExgpK_iMSdNsIpOnA=&amp;caption=true&amp;ver=1\" width=\"594\" height=\"396\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Yet, none of those European giants are undefeated in this year\u2019s competition. Chelsea were stunned 3\u20131 by Brazil\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2025\/06\/21\/friday-the-club-world-cup-boca-juniors-rock-miami-flamengo-upset-chelsea\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Flamengo<\/a> in the group stage. <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2025\/06\/20\/botafogo-defeat-psg-ending-europes-club-world-cup-excuses\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Botafogo toppled PSG<\/a>. And Real Madrid were held to a draw by Saudi club Al-Hilal. Even if Fluminense can\u2019t get past Chelsea and we end up with an all-European final, it\u2019s clear that European teams are no longer dominating this tournament outright.<\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/2220281485\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 66.66667% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/2220281485?et=fQ_w26xGRtJu_5gHI5gxuw&amp;tld=com&amp;sig=RlK7X9yLDYWYMeBZCBfgP2ShjBipFdHZ1PCsR0BAeL8=&amp;caption=true&amp;ver=1\" width=\"594\" height=\"396\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Despite massive financial, infrastructure, and development advantages, European sides have found this tournament far from straightforward. And while leagues like <a href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/article\/harsh-lessons-mls-learned-club-164000832.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">MLS remain limited by roster restrictions<\/a>, the supposed \u201cgap\u201d between Europe and the rest appears narrower than ever. With matches played in hot, humid environments that favored South American and Asian-based clubs, sides like Fluminense, Liga MX\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2025\/07\/02\/what-the-fifa-club-world-cup-meant-for-monterrey-rayados\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Monterrey Rayados<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2025\/07\/02\/al-hilal-topples-manchester-city-makes-club-world-cup-history\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Al-Hilal<\/a>, and even Lionel Messi\u2019s Inter Miami showed grit, talent, and motivation.<\/p>\n<p>Veterans of European nights\u2014Messi, Monterrey\u2019s Sergio Ramos, Fluminense\u2019s Thiago Silva\u2014stepped up, while future stars emerged, including Palmeiras\u2019 Richard R\u00edos and Estev\u00e3o (who notably scored against future club Chelsea).<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Thiago Silva\u2019s speech to his teammates before beat Inter in the Club World Cup |Fluminense vs Hilal\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RtXYR8O6OFM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>New names also emerged on the big stage. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/sports\/other\/soccer-a-star-is-born-gonzalo-garcia-makes-most-of-club-world-cup\/ar-AA1I2E7c\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Real Madrid\u2019s 21-year-old Gonzalo Garcia<\/a> has netted four goals, helping rescue a result in multiple matches. Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola\u2019s Manchester City learned the hard way that pedigree and confidence alone isn\u2019t enough, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2025\/07\/02\/al-hilal-topples-manchester-city-makes-club-world-cup-history\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">falling to Al-Hilal<\/a> in a historic upset.<\/p>\n<p>While attendance was mixed, some nights felt electric. Bayern Munich vs. Boca Juniors in Miami recreated the energy of a UEFA Champions League clash. Japan\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/shorts\/48ptSmIdLV0\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Urawa Red Diamonds<\/a> and South Africa\u2019s Mamelodi Sundowns contributed to the tournament\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/shorts\/pJ_QgvoCeLc\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">colorful diversity<\/a> and brought their unique fan atmospheres to the U.S.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Boca Juniors Fans Go WILD Over Merentiel Goal Vs. Bayern Munich\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9bFb_yJ4Cbc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>For clubs, this was more than silverware\u2014it was business. With the U.S. serving as a massive growth market, the Club World Cup presented a critical <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6440062\/2025\/06\/22\/club-world-cup-finances-brand\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">commercial opportunity<\/a>. Compared to the defunct Confederations Cup, this 32-team spectacle offered a more compelling preview of World Cup 2026 and let clubs beyond the Premier League connect with U.S. fans.<\/p>\n<p>South American and Asian leagues may now find it easier to retain talent, thanks not only to financial gains but growing international prestige. No league benefited more than <a href=\"https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/news\/campeonato-brasileiro-serie-business-landscape-111300299.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brazil\u2019s Serie A<\/a>. Dominating recent Copa Libertadores campaigns, Brazil sent four teams to the Club World Cup\u2014and all four advanced past the group stage, they went toe to toe with Europe&#8217;s best, putting in better performances than even in the old version of the Club World Cup.<\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/2223595397\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 66.66667% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/2223595397?et=8lK3BbCLQA5QIFmIYEvyFA&amp;tld=com&amp;sig=TrJcjoRaVmsXQh2lg30yuSXqkHEzFcm49SfRXFRcyJQ=&amp;caption=true&amp;ver=1\" width=\"594\" height=\"396\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Argentina wasn\u2019t as lucky. River Plate and Boca Juniors failed to advance, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/articles\/soccer\/river-plate-and-boca-juniors-ousted-from-apertura-tournament-face-uncertain-club-world-cup\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">hard reality check<\/a> for the Argentine domestic league, despite the strength of their national team. Mamelodi Sundowns stood out among CAF clubs, but none reached the knockout stage, in what is the least wealthy federation. MLS, despite sending teams that may not be the absolute best in the league, and facing structural constraints regarding roster composition, still saw Inter Miami reach the knockouts before falling to PSG.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Lionel Messi Scores A WORLDIE On A Free Kick! | FIFA Club World Cup Highlights\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3BLnisrWmjE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>LIGA MX earned respect too. Monterrey took Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund to the wire in the Round of 16, a result that <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/LeviALDACO\/status\/1938074102935228811\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">boosted the league\u2019s global standing<\/a> as it looks to attract more talent.<\/p>\n<p>The Saudi Pro League saw its ambitions nearly fulfilled. Though Al-Hilal fell to Fluminense in the quarterfinals, their stunning upset of Manchester City was the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/sports\/other\/al-hilal-s-win-over-man-city-puts-saudi-football-on-the-map\/ar-AA1HOmN7\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">crown jewel<\/a> in Saudi Arabia\u2019s ongoing football project. Despite not winning the Saudi title, Al-Hilal defeated City and drew Real Madrid. With better officiating on the questionable no-penalty calls, they might have gone even further.<\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/2222993231\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 66.66667% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/2222993231?et=746JOGkiQhRUAmsX9Q3XRw&amp;tld=com&amp;sig=jfuTAQzQKGCremD_a-yr9CSUQ9k7Y9vd18Qm6bomJkY=&amp;caption=true&amp;ver=1\" width=\"594\" height=\"396\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Looking ahead, the expanded format should continue. The incentive to win regional titles like the Copa Libertadores, CONCACAF Champions Cup, and AFC Champions League is now immense\u2014financially and reputationally. UEFA clubs may have underestimated the challenge this year, with coaches at Juventus and Dortmund <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/soccer\/story\/_\/id\/45635530\/juventus-tudor-10-players-substituted-real-madrid-club-world-cup\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">publicly voicing frustrations<\/a> over playing conditions and field quality. Expect them to be better prepared in future editions.<\/p>\n<p>The financial and branding dominance of European clubs remains real. But one tournament has shown that the playing field is more level than many imagined. If leagues like the Brasileiro, LIGA MX, MLS, and RSL continue to invest and evolve, the global football hierarchy will continue to shift.<\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/2223143389\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 66.66667% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/2223143389?et=37jZLqp_RyxrqHN3gEw4IA&amp;tld=com&amp;sig=iDKyaF2IRPL98LmHxKokLaLHG4wdDP_2SsHJrh9GnPI=&amp;caption=true&amp;ver=1\" width=\"594\" height=\"396\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cA cold, rainy night in Stoke\u201d may soon have global competition\u2014a hot night in Rio, Riyadh, or Los Angeles might carry just as much weight. And for the world\u2019s clubs, there\u2019s now a new reason to dream, and invest in, a path to glory.<\/p>\n<p>Main Photo Credit: IMAGO \/ Agencia-MexSport<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is down to the final four. Three of those teams are European giants\u2014Paris Saint-Germain face Real Madrid, while Chelsea are favored in their semifinal\u2014joined by one surprise: Brazilian side Fluminense, who have ridden their luck once again. Fluminense, the 2023 Club World Cup finalists, get another shot at a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1442,"featured_media":655888,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2132,11,2,161,1367,1366],"tags":[32322,4413,53,2215,52,32309,32385,32489,621,51,3989,46,1701,2949,2996,4621,323,32384,41,32318,624,4415,32415,898,40,261,32487,978,32442,32313],"class_list":["post-656559","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-cup","category-chelsea","category-featured","category-international-football","category-paris-saint-germain","category-real-madrid","tag-2025-club-world-cup","tag-al-hilal","tag-bayern-munich","tag-boca-juniors","tag-borussia-dortmund","tag-botafogo","tag-brasileiro","tag-brasileiro-serie-a","tag-brazil","tag-bundesliga","tag-c-f-monterrey","tag-chelsea","tag-club-world-cup","tag-flamengo","tag-fluminense","tag-inter-miami","tag-juventus","tag-liga-mx","tag-lionel-messi","tag-mamelodi-sundowns","tag-mls","tag-monterrey","tag-monterrey-rayados","tag-palmeiras","tag-premier-league","tag-psg","tag-real-marid","tag-river-plate","tag-saudi-pro-league","tag-urawa-red-diamonds"],"modified_by":"Steen Kirby","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/656559","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1442"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=656559"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/656559\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":656560,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/656559\/revisions\/656560"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/655888"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=656559"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=656559"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=656559"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}