Fluminense, Palmeiras, and Boca Juniors gave spirited performances in the opening days of the new-look Club World Cup in the United States, but Europe’s 13-year dominance over South American clubs remains intact after a series of draws.

Fluminense controlled proceedings against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday but were held to a goalless stalemate by the German side, thanks to a stellar display by Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.

Similarly, Palmeiras dominated Porto but were also forced to settle for a 0-0 draw.

Argentinian giants Boca Juniors came closest to breaking the European run, racing into a two-goal lead against Benfica before the Portuguese club rallied to secure a 2-2 draw.

The results underscore the challenge South American teams face in ending Europe’s unbeaten streak, which stretches back to Corinthians’ victory over Chelsea in the 2012 Club World Cup final. Since then, European clubs have gone 33 matches without defeat against teams from other continents.

Historically, South American sides enjoyed success in the Intercontinental Cup, a competition that pitted the winners of the Copa Libertadores against the European Cup champions and was the precursor to the Club World Cup.

Memorable triumphs include Penarol’s 4-0 aggregate two-leg victory over Real Madrid in 1966, Pele’s Santos defeating AC Milan in 1963, Zico’s Flamengo beating Liverpool 3-0 in 1981 and Sao Paulo’s victories over stellar Barcelona and Milan sides in the early 1990s.

HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT

The rivalry sometimes led to ill-tempered clashes, such as Racing Club’s games against Celtic in 1967 and both legs of Argentina’s Estudiantes against Manchester United the following year.

Estudiantes’ second leg against Milan in 1969 ended with three of their players being arrested in the hostile environment of La Bombonera stadium, leading to many European sides refusing to play the fixture during the 1970s.

Tempers calmed as the fixture became a one-off match in 1980 and the competitive level remained fierce and balanced.

However, the landscape shifted dramatically following the 1995 Bosman ruling, which allowed European clubs to field unlimited EU players and bolstered their financial and competitive strength.

South American clubs, meanwhile, have seen their top talent move to Europe at increasingly younger ages.

Before the ruling, South American teams led European sides 20-14 in wins. However, European teams have won 16 of the last 17 finals played, reflecting a widening gap.

The revamped Club World Cup, however, with 32 clubs from around the globe including 12 European and six South American, opened the door for fans to watch different levels of teams from each continent pitted against one another.

“Brazilian teams, Brazilian players are always very strong technically, it’s always difficult to play against them, Manchester City forward Bernardo Silva told Reuters on Tuesday.

“Physically, I think the Brazilian teams will be a little better prepared than us, because they are in the middle of their season. The weather and conditions here are more similar to what they are used to. Small details could make the difference in this kind of tournament.”

Five more intercontinental clashes remain in the group stage, including Thursday’s showdown between Copa Libertadores holders Botafogo and Champions League winners Paris St Germain.

With Brazilian league leaders Flamengo preparing for Friday’s clash against Chelsea with a 2-0 victory over Esperance de Tunis, South American clubs — buoyed by passionate travelling support — are hoping to reignite the intercontinental rivalry and challenge Europe’s supremacy once more.

-Reuters

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Iqraam Rayners played the hero’s role on Tuesday night, scoring the decisive goal as Mamelodi Sundowns opened their FIFA Club World Cup Group F campaign with a hard-fought 1–0 win over Ulsan HD—though the forward was quick to shift praise to the team effort.

The 29-year-old striker sealed victory with a composed finish in the 36th minute at the Inter & Co Stadium in Orlando, capping off a slick move with the outside of his right boot after latching onto a reverse pass from Lucas Ribeiro. It proved enough to separate the sides following a storm-induced 65-minute delay before kick-off.

Rayners had earlier seen two goals ruled out by VAR—one for handball, the other for offside—but his persistence was finally rewarded. His performance earned him the Man of the Match award, but the former Stellenbosch forward was more focused on the group’s achievement.

“I’m very happy with the win—we had a great opportunity tonight and we took it,” Rayners said in a post-match interview. “Of course I’m proud of the goal, but it’s the result that means the most. We work as a team, and that’s what really matters.”

The win sent Sundowns to the top of Group F, after Borussia Dortmund and Fluminense had earlier played out a goalless draw.

Despite the weather disruption, Sundowns started with purpose and organisation. Captain Themba Zwane and centre-back Keanu Cupido led a disciplined defensive display that restricted the Korean champions to limited chances.

Rayners, however, provided the match-winning moment—and credited head coach Rulani Mokwena for the tactical preparation.

“The staff drilled us all week on how Ulsan like to press,” he explained. “When the pass came from Lucas, I already knew where the space would be. Credit to everyone—defenders, midfielders, even the subs. Clean sheets win tournaments.”

Sundowns return to action on Saturday against Fluminense, with another win likely to secure a quarter-final spot.

But for Rayners, the focus remains firmly on the team.

“We’re pleased, but this is only step one,” he said. “Now we recover, we analyse, and we go again—together.”

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South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns won their opening game at the Club World Cup on Tuesday as striker Iqraam Rayners netted the only goal in a 1-0 win over South Korea’s Ulsan HD.

The result put this month’s African Champions League runners-up top of Group F after Borussia Dortmund were held 0-0 by Fluminense earlier in the day.

It was also a first victory for an African side at the new-look 32-team tournament in the United States after Egypt’s Al Ahly drew their opener while Esperance of Tunisia lost to Flamengo on Monday.

Rayners’ goal came nine minutes before halftime at the Inter & Co Stadium in a match that was delayed by just over an hour due to the threat of lightning in central Florida.

The teams had come onto the pitch to start the match before French referee Clement Turpin ordered them back to the change rooms as a precaution.

Rayners had two other first-half strikes ruled out after VAR checks – one for handball and the other inches offside.

The effort which counted was a well-worked effort with Sundowns’ Brazilian playmaker Lucas Ribeiro slipping a pass through the Ulsan defence for the striker to poke into the net.

Sundowns could have been ahead inside the opening 20 seconds after some slick passing set up a chance for Ribeiro but his effort was blocked.

It set the tone for almost total dominance by Sundowns, who had more than 70% of possession, though their passing game was too pedestrian at times and they were wasteful in front of goal.

Ulsan looked for chances on the counter and had their best opportunity in the fourth minute after a quick break but the Korean club’s Brazilian forward Erick Farias missed with the goal at his mercy.

Ulsan were rarely on the front foot but did have two opportunities that Sundowns scrambled off the line.

-Reuters

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