Hot SourceDuro Ikhazuagbe
The first marquee match of the expanded FIFA Club World Cup will hold this evening when newly crowned UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain file out against Atletico Madrid in California. It is the first meeting between both European clubs in the tournament’s history. It promises to be full of fireworks.
The Club World Cup is a sort of dress rehearsal for the 2026 World Cup to be jointly hosted by USA, Mexico and Canada. Expectedly, USA has put forward for use in this Club World Cup, five of the venues – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Hard Rock Stadium, MetLife Stadium, Lincoln Financial Field and Lumen Field – that will also be hosting matches next year.
But before the two European giants clash in California, Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami headline the first game of the tournament against Al Ahly at the 65,000-capacity Hard Rock Stadium. Although there were skepticism over the tournament in the US amid the backdrop of apparent ticketing issues and accusations of little regard for player welfare, FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, has insisted that he expects a full house at the game. “I expect a full stadium. We will have an incredible atmosphere. It’s historic.
“We have two teams in that game with very different stories: a young team like Inter Miami that is already known around the world, and the team that has won more trophies than any team in Africa, with millions of fans around the world.”
Infantino remains unfazed by the ticketing issues, stressing that: “It starts a new era of football, a new era of club football. A little bit like in 1930, the first World Cup started.
“Everyone today speaks about the very first World Cup. That’s why this World Cup here is historic.
“I’m a positive person generally, but they criticise FIFA if the prices are too high, then they criticise FIFA if the prices are too low. Then they criticise FIFA if we make ticketing promotions with students. Students! When I was a student and I didn’t have money, I would have loved FIFA to come to me and say: ‘You want to come and watch a World Cup match?’”
Despite all these matters raised about the tournament, there is frenzy in the air about who wins the Golden Boot when the tournament caps on July 13.
Fingers are pointing at one of Real Madrid’s lot: either Kylian Mbappe or Vinicius Jr. But it would be nice if Harry Kane does the thing.
There’s a chance that Kane or Erling Haaland could each be in double digits by the time the knockout rounds start. There’s just such a huge gap between some of the smaller clubs and the respective giants of Europe. This one will end with Mbappe, though. Madrid’s group should see them cruise to multi-goal wins each game, and he’s their scoring outlet.
