What FIFA Can Learn From 2025 Club World Cup, And What It Got Right
The post What FIFA Can Learn From 2025 Club World Cup, And What It Got Right appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. ORLANDO, FLORIDA – JUNE 30: Ruben Neves #8 of Al Hilal celebrates after the team’s victory during … More the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 round of 16 match between Manchester City and Al-Hilal at Camping World Stadium on June 30, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) Getty Images On Monday, as Manchester City players slumped to their knees in defeat, the 2025 Club World Cup finally had its narrative-changing moment. The tournament can be seen as two distinct phases. The group stages are about developing global soccer and showcasing teams from every corner of the planet. The knockout rounds are all about the world’s biggest teams playing high-stakes matches where a win is worth tens of millions of dollars. FIFA’s challenge has been combining these two phases so that fans wanting to see Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich also care about Mamelodi Sundowns vs Ulsan HD. But when Al Ain is losing 6-0 to Manchester City or Auckland City is losing 10-0 to Bayern Munich, that challenge becomes a lot tougher. FIFA needed a win, and Al Hilal delivered it. Club World Cup “Isn’t Just About Europe” The quarterfinals were expected to be an all-European affair, with perhaps one or two South American teams there too. Now with Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal playing Brazil’s Fluminense, there’s going to be at least one non-European side in the semi-finals. Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibault Courtois, speaking on Tuesday, said “Football today isn’t just about Europe anymore. We need to respect all clubs – we saw it yesterday with Al Hilal beating City, or the Brazilian teams who always compete at the top level.” Al Hilal’s dramatic 4-3 win over Manchester City, coupled with Brazilian side Fluminense’s 2-0 win against Inter Milan, showed that clubs from the rest of the…
The post What FIFA Can Learn From 2025 Club World Cup, And What It Got Right appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.
ORLANDO, FLORIDA – JUNE 30: Ruben Neves #8 of Al Hilal celebrates after the team’s victory during … More the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 round of 16 match between Manchester City and Al-Hilal at Camping World Stadium on June 30, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) Getty Images On Monday, as Manchester City players slumped to their knees in defeat, the 2025 Club World Cup finally had its narrative-changing moment. The tournament can be seen as two distinct phases. The group stages are about developing global soccer and showcasing teams from every corner of the planet. The knockout rounds are all about the world’s biggest teams playing high-stakes matches where a win is worth tens of millions of dollars. FIFA’s challenge has been combining these two phases so that fans wanting to see Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich also care about Mamelodi Sundowns vs Ulsan HD. But when Al Ain is losing 6-0 to Manchester City or Auckland City is losing 10-0 to Bayern Munich, that challenge becomes a lot tougher. FIFA needed a win, and Al Hilal delivered it. Club World Cup “Isn’t Just About Europe” The quarterfinals were expected to be an all-European affair, with perhaps one or two South American teams there too. Now with Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal playing Brazil’s Fluminense, there’s going to be at least one non-European side in the semi-finals. Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibault Courtois, speaking on Tuesday, said “Football today isn’t just about Europe anymore. We need to respect all clubs – we saw it yesterday with Al Hilal beating City, or the Brazilian teams who always compete at the top level.” Al Hilal’s dramatic 4-3 win over Manchester City, coupled with Brazilian side Fluminense’s 2-0 win against Inter Milan, showed that clubs from the rest of the…
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