International Football
FIFA CONFEDERATIONS CUP TO BE SCRAPPED FOR CLUBS TOURNAMENT
FIFA president, Gianni Infantino on Thursday said it could replace the Confederations Cup with a new world club competition.
He also confirmed that FIFA will officially recognise as world club champions the winners of the old Intercontinental Cup dating back to 1960 – a contest that became notorious for some of the most unsavoury matches in the sport.
The old competition for the Toyota Cup was essentially a contest of the European champion and that of South America.
FIFA currently organises a Club World Cup every year, featuring the champion clubs of each continent, but it has recently suffered from European dominance with teams from other regions unable to mount a serious challenge. The Confederations Cup is held in the year before a World Cup and features the respective national team champions of each continent.
“The current Club World Cup is a nice competition but it has not really had the impact that was hoped in development of club football around the world,” he told a media conference following a council meeting.
“We have to see if we can come up with something special, something new which will help club football and confederations all around the world.
“When FIFA organises a competition, it should be something special, so either we find a special tournament or we’d rather not do it.”
But Infantino stressed that it was important not to further congest the international calendar. “One option could be to organise it instead of the Confederations Cup,” he said.
The Club World Cup has been held in its current form since 2005. Before that, from 1980 to 2004, a single match was played between the champions of Europe and South America in Tokyo.
That in turn was preceded by the so-called Intercontinental Cup, which also featured European and South American champions and was played over two legs, with one match on each continent.
The fixture was marred by so much violence that, eventually, some teams refused to take part. One of the most notorious fixtures was in 1967, when a brutal two-leg tie between Scotland’s Celtic and Argentina’s Racing Club went to a replay in Uruguay.
Six players were sent off and became known as the “Battle of Montevideo”.
Among the teams to benefit from Friday’s decision were Italian club AC Milan, Uruguay’s Penarol and Real Madrid, who all won the Intercontinental three times in the 1960-2004 period.
A Pele-inspired Santos team, Portugal’s Porto and Brazil’s Sao Paulo were among the clubs to win it twice.
Other winners have included Argentinian clubs Racing Club, Estudiantes, Velez Sarsfield and River Plate, Paraguay’s Olimpia and Brazil’s Flamengo.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles put up a spirited performance but were edged 2-1 by Portugal in an international friendly at the Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa in Leiria on Wednesday night.
The match served as Portugal’s final tune-up ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America and offered the Nigerians a chance to test themselves against one of Europe’s leading sides led by veteran captain Cristiano Ronaldo.
Portugal drew first blood in the 23rd minute when Pedro Neto broke the deadlock, firing past Nigerian goalkeeper Maduka Okoye after a lively opening period in which both teams created opportunities.
The Super Eagles responded positively and were rewarded eight minutes before halftime when striker Akor Adams found the equaliser. The goal capped an impressive Nigerian fightback and ensured the teams went into the break level at 1-1.
Ronaldo, making a rare appearance against Nigeria, started the match and remained on the pitch until the 67th minute. The 41-year-old was given a standing ovation by the home crowd when he was replaced by Gonçalo Ramos.
Portugal made several changes after the interval as coach Roberto Martinez rotated his squad in preparation for the World Cup. Despite the substitutions, the hosts continued to press for a winner.
Their persistence paid off in the 75th minute when Francisco Conceição struck the decisive goal, restoring Portugal’s lead and ultimately securing victory for the European side.
Nigeria battled to find another equaliser in the closing stages but Portugal’s defence held firm to preserve the 2-1 result.
The defeat means Portugal have now won both meetings between the two countries. Their first encounter came in Lisbon in November 2022, when the Portuguese recorded a convincing 4-0 victory in a pre-World Cup friendly.
While the result will disappoint Nigerian supporters, the Super Eagles can take encouragement from their resilient display against one of the teams widely tipped to make a strong impact at the World Cup. Akor Adams’ goal and Nigeria’s competitive showing against a star-studded Portuguese side provided positive signs as the team continues its rebuilding process under the national team set-up.
For Portugal, the victory provides a confidence boost as they head to North America, where they hope their talented midfield and experienced squad can propel them to a successful World Cup campaign.
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Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo will be in the starting line-up when the Selecao take on Nigeria in an international friendly match which kicks off in a few minutes tonight.
The 41-year-old forward, who remains a key figure in the Portuguese national team, has been named among the starters as Portugal continue preparations for upcoming competitive fixtures.
Ronaldo’s inclusion is expected to add further excitement to the encounter, with Nigerian fans eager to see one of football’s greatest players in action against the Super Eagles.
The match offers Nigeria another opportunity to test themselves against top European opposition, while Portugal will look to sharpen their squad ahead of future international assignments.
Kick-off is scheduled for later tonight, with both teams expected to field strong line-ups in what promises to be an entertaining contest.
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By Kunle Solaja
Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Portugal will meet for only the second time at the senior level when they clash in an international friendly in Leiria on Wednesday night.
The encounter comes under remarkably similar circumstances to their first meeting in November 2022, when Portugal defeated Nigeria 4-0 in Lisbon just days before the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Once again, Portugal are using Nigeria as their final warm-up match before the World Cup. Four years ago, the Portuguese selected the Super Eagles to prepare for a group-stage clash against Ghana, the team that denied Nigeria a place at Qatar 2022.
History appears to be repeating itself. This time, Portugal are preparing for a World Cup opening fixture against the Democratic Republic of Congo, another team that shattered Nigeria’s World Cup ambitions by eliminating the Super Eagles from the qualification race.
The match at the 29,000-capacity Estádio Dr Magalhães Pessoa offers Nigeria an opportunity to avenge the heavy defeat suffered four years ago and test themselves against one of Europe’s strongest sides.
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez has assembled a star-studded squad featuring five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias, Rafael Leão and João Félix.
The Portuguese head into the encounter unbeaten in their last four matches, having recorded victories over the United States and Chile while drawing with Mexico.
Nigeria, under coach Eric Chelle, have also enjoyed an impressive run. Since taking charge 15 months ago, the Franco-Malian tactician has overseen 24 matches and suffered only one defeat in regulation time.
With both teams carrying impressive recent records, Wednesday’s friendly promises to be far more competitive than the scoreline from their last meeting suggests.
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