CLUB WORLD CUP
South American clubs still lack killer instinct, say FIFA experts
The gulf between South American and European teams may not be as wide as expected at the Club World Cup, but a clear gap still exists in their efficiency in front of goal, according to FIFA technical experts.
Arsene Wenger, FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, and Juergen Klinsmann, former Germany and U.S. national team coach, were speaking at a round table on Saturday as the tournament enters its knockout phase.
“At the start of the competition, many opponents seemed to fear playing against the European teams,” Wenger said.
“But as things progressed – especially the Brazilians – they began to realise it might not be so different after all.”
Flamengo and Botafogo beat European teams during the group phase of the 32-team competition, with the latter’s 1-0 victory over European champions Paris St Germain standing out.
Wenger said growing belief, especially among Brazilian sides, has shifted the dynamic heading into the last 16.
“Maybe it’s also because they’ve gained the confidence to do it. That shift in mindset could mean we’ll see a different Brazil in the knockout stage than we saw in the group phase,” he added.
The Frenchman highlighted the influence of Filipe Luis, whose Flamengo side showed what Wenger called the most European tactical profile among South American sides at the tournament.
“Filipe has … played in Europe, and you can see that in the way his team approaches the game,” Wenger said.
GAP CLOSING
Wenger and Klinsmann said South American clubs were quickly closing the gap in infrastructure and preparation.
“When we visited the teams, we saw delegations of up to 100 people – support staff, analysts, advisors,” Wenger said. “With squads of 23 to 35 players, these clubs are now fully professional in every department. That level of preparation allows teams to learn quickly.”
The key difference, however, remains in execution.
“In the final third, European clubs are simply more clinical,” Wenger said.
Klinsmann agreed, saying the real divide lies in mentality.
“Experience is also a big part of quality,” he said. “When is a club like Pachuca or Monterrey (of Mexico) playing in a tournament like this?”
Drawing on his time as U.S. national coach, Klinsmann stressed the importance of testing players outside their comfort zones.
“That’s why I always said, ‘Get us into Copa America. Get us into Europe’. That’s the kind of competition that develops a winning mentality,” he said.
“If this tournament were held again next year, Pachuca would be a different team – more confident, more refined.
“But they have to be more clinical. When you’re in the box, it’s your head that makes the decision, not just your feet. And that’s the difference.”
With the round of 16 underway on Saturday, analysts said the knockout stages would offer a clearer picture of how much ground South American teams have made up, tactically and psychologically.
“We might see very different attitudes now,” Wenger said.
Flamengo face Bayern Munich on Sunday and Inter Milan meet Fluminense on Monday.
-Reuters
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Brazil formally has told FIFA it wants to host the 2029 Club World Cup, according to a report by ESPN Brazil.
The request was delivered during meetings in Rio de Janeiro as FIFA president Gianni Infantino visited the country.
Infantino’s trip was focused on kick-starting the buildup to the 2027 Women’s World Cup, which will be staged across eight host cities in Brazil.
Behind the scenes, Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) officials continued to push for FIFA’s expanded club tournament to grace South America’s biggest market. FIFA did not run a traditional bidding contest for the 2025 edition — instead appointing the United States to stage the 32-team event — and has yet to outline how the 2029 host will be selected.
CBF president Samir Xaud has framed the talks as ongoing, saying last year: “It’s a subject I discussed with president Infantino… God willing, Brazil will host the 2029 Club World Cup.”
For 2029, Brazil already has one club assured of a place in the tournament. Flamengo earned its spot by winning the 2025 Copa Libertadores title.
-Reuters
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Controversy has erupted following Chelsea’s dramatic victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the FIFA Club World Cup final, with reports suggesting that the trophy presented to the English club is a replica – and that the original remains in the possession of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Blues clinched the inaugural edition of the revamped tournament at the MetLife Stadium on Sunday, July 13, with captain Reece James receiving the silverware from Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
However, social media and the international press have been ablaze with claims that the trophy lifted during the celebrations was not the authentic one.
Videos from the post-match ceremony showed Trump lingering on the podium well after the presentation, standing beside James as he hoisted the trophy. This unusual move immediately drew attention.
Now, the intrigue has deepened following Trump’s own remarks in an interview with sports broadcaster DAZN, in which he admitted that the original trophy was currently “in his office at the White House.”
According to sources, Infantino unveiled the redesigned Club World Cup trophy at the White House shortly after Trump returned to office earlier this year, following his election win over Kamala Harris.
It now appears that the original trophy never left the presidential residence, prompting FIFA to commission a replica for the ceremony in New Jersey.
Adding fuel to the fire, Trump was also seen pocketing one of the winner’s medals during the event.
Infantino had handed him a medal, presumably for inspection, but the U.S. President was later spotted slipping it inside his blazer.
This led to online jokes among fans, with some suggesting he had taken the medal intended for Chelsea winger Noni Madueke, who left the squad just before the final to complete a surprise move to Arsenal.
Madueke was reportedly seen partying with Jadon Sancho at the Wireless Festival in London while Chelsea celebrated across the Atlantic.
The incident has cast an odd shadow over what was otherwise a historic moment for Chelsea, marking their first triumph under the new Club World Cup format.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup set to take place in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, and the final returning to MetLife Stadium, questions may linger over the relationship between football’s global leadership and its most controversial political host.
FIFA has yet to comment officially on the trophy replica claims.
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U.S. President Donald Trump paid homage to soccer great Pele after being met with boos and cheers from the crowd at the Club World Cup final on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Chelsea walloped Paris St Germain 3-0 to close out the newly expanded version of the tournament, designed as a glittering curtain-raiser for the 2026 World Cup that the U.S. will co-host with Mexico and Canada.
Trump was seated next to FIFA boss Gianni Infantino in box seats at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where fans booed him when he appeared briefly on the jumbotron during the U.S. national anthem.
He was on his feet in the same VIP suite after Chelsea completed their thrashing of Paris St Germain, pumping his fist as congratulatory music blared.
Trump was met with boos from the crowd again as he posed with the match referees on the pitch during the trophy ceremony, as organisers kept the music pumping in the stadium.
He handed Chelsea their trophy and stood in the middle of the players for their team photo and celebration.
“I knew he was going to be there but I didn’t know he was going to be on the stand when we lifted the trophy so I was a bit confused,” said Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer, who scored two goals during the match.
Asked in a TV interview who he believed was soccer’s “GOAT,” Trump named Brazilian icon Pele, who helped spark interest in the sport in the U.S. in his brief time playing for the New York Cosmos in the fledgling North American Soccer League in 1975.
“I came to watch Pele, and he was fantastic,” Trump told broadcaster DAZN. “That’s like saying Babe Ruth, but I would say Pele was so great.”
Trump has embraced sport’s super-sized spotlight during his second term, becoming the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl in February.
In May, he announced D.C. as the host for the 2027 NFL Draft from the Oval Office. He regularly attends UFC and has said he wants to host such fights at the White House next year.
FIFA announced last week that it had opened an office in New York’s Trump Tower ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which the U.S. will co-host with Canada and Mexico. A record 48 national teams are set to take part.
Trump’s appearance at MetLife came a day after he threatened to impose a 30% tariff on imports from Mexico and the European Union, an escalation of a trade war that has angered U.S. allies and rattled investors.
-Reuters
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