Sunday, October 5, 2025
Submit Press Release
Got Action
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • NCAA
    • NCAA Football
    • NCAA Basketball
    • NCAA Baseball
    • NCAA Sport
  • Baseball
  • NFL
  • NBA
  • NHL
  • MLB
  • Formula 1
  • MMA
  • Boxing
  • Tennis
  • Golf
  • Sports Picks
  • Home
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • NCAA
    • NCAA Football
    • NCAA Basketball
    • NCAA Baseball
    • NCAA Sport
  • Baseball
  • NFL
  • NBA
  • NHL
  • MLB
  • Formula 1
  • MMA
  • Boxing
  • Tennis
  • Golf
  • Sports Picks
Got Action
No Result
View All Result

Club World Cup is proof that expanded tournament can work

June 28, 2025
in Football
0 0
0
Home Football
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


It’s OK, you can admit it. It’s just us, don’t be embarrassed. If you’re a casual fan, you probably knew close to nothing of most of the non-European teams in the Club World Cup unless they were from your region, with the exception of Inter Miami (because, well, Lionel Messi).

LAFC: Isn’t that the team David Beckham played for? (No, that’s the other team from Los Angeles, the Galaxy … the one with the two World Cup winners.)

Urawa Red Diamonds: That’s from Super Mario, right? (No, they’re from Japan and draw almost as many fans per game as Chelsea or Juventus.)

Ulsan HD: Isn’t that a brand of TV? (Maybe, but this Ulsan won the past two South Korean league titles.)

Editor’s Picks

2 Related

You may have heard of Brazil’s Flamengo, but might have equally been surprised there’s no long-legged pink bird on their crest. (The name comes from the Portuguese word for Flemish and stems from a Rio de Janeiro neighborhood.)

And admit it — we’re among friends — you probably thought all three teams with the word “Al” in the name (Al Ain, Al Ahly and Al Hilal) were from Saudi Arabia, since we in the mainstream media keep talking about how the country is spending billions to attract the world’s top players from Cristiano Ronaldo on down. (Actually, Al Hilal is the only Saudi club of the three, as Al Ain are from the United Arab Emirates and — this may confuse you — the Saudi Pro League also has an Al Ahly. It’s just that this Al Ahly is from Egypt.)

If you’re a soccer nerd — or someone who gets paid to do this, like me — you know that many of these clubs are massive local institutions, and some were historically among the best in the world. But the Club World Cup isn’t designed to attract soccer devotees, who will tune in anyway — it’s meant to reel in the casuals and one day grow into a legitimate little brother of that sporting, cultural and entertainment juggernaut we know as the men’s World Cup. That’s not easy to do when more than half the teams in it have the global name recognition of the guy who played Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy.

THE FC 100, 2024-25

With the 2024-25 season officially over, it’s time to rank the top 100 players in the world of men’s soccer right now. Welcome to the FC 100. Read the full list here.

That’s why it was so important to FIFA that the Club World Cup group phase not degenerate into a series of WWE-style squash-fests in which the European clubs cruised through to a quarterfinal set that looks like the UEFA Champions League, only played over a single set and on a different continent.

While we could still get seven of eight UEFA quarterfinalists, by and large FIFA got its wish. The group stage was generally competitive. My colleague Ryan O’Hanlon took a deep dive into the relative strengths of the teams and the leagues and concluded that, maybe, the gap between Europe’s elite and everyone else isn’t as big as some thought.

play

1:09

Burley: Don’t judge teams on Club World Cup performance

Craig Burley explains why you can’t use the Club World Cup to determine which sides are stronger than others.

With the exception of New Zealand semi-pros Auckland City (who nevertheless also grabbed a 1-1 draw against Argentinian giants Boca Juniors), nobody looked woefully out of place — no more than Southampton looked out of place in the Premier League last year anyway. Take Auckland out of the mix, and if you define blowout as a game decided by more than three goals, well, there were just four matches out of 45 that qualify as blowouts, and one of them was the all-European affair between Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid.

FIFA crowed about it in a news release Friday, noting that the 16 sides in the knockouts come from 10 different countries and that four of the six Confederations are represented in the Round of 16. (It could have been five out of six: Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns came darn close, finishing on four points.) As for those European juggernauts, three of the twelve (Atletico Madrid, Porto and — ahem — FC Salzburg) exited in the group stage. All but one of them (Manchester City) dropped points against non-European competition.

In terms of the football itself? Well, this is proof of concept. Contrary to what some insist — and the impression we in the mainstream media might give — the rest of the world can in fact hang with Europe.

Yeah, I’ve heard the argument that some UEFA teams weren’t taking it seriously. I’m not sure that was the norm at all. The only ones to rotate their teams significantly were City, Chelsea and Bayern, and all three advanced. I heard other arguments, too, about how it was unfair to the European teams that they had to play in hot conditions and how, for them, this tournament comes at the end of the season while for others it’s in mid-season, so the players are fitter and less tired.

play

2:04

Is Inter Miami up to the task vs. PSG in the Round of 16?

The “Futbol Americas” crew discusses how Inter Miami should feel after late goals from Palmeiras result in the MLS side facing off against PSG.

The heat factor is kind of nonsense. Sure, it’s not fun playing in extreme conditions and the spectacle suffers, but is it really some weird, upset-causing leveler? Every single edition of the Euros is played in the summer, as are most World Cups. We still see the best teams advancing. None of these clubs are accustomed to playing in extreme heat: those from hotter nations tend to play their games at night if they do play in the summer (and most don’t).

As for the midseason/end-of-season factor? Sure, maybe it helped the South American sides a bit. But the seasons in Africa and Asia run on a fall-to-spring calendar, just like most of Europe. And most of these teams had a three-week break between the end of their club seasons and the start of the Club World Cup.

I’m a strong believer that the Club World Cup, as a tournament, is a good thing. Europe may have 99% of the world’s soccer resources, but step on to the pitch and the gap is nowhere near that big. The soccer world is a smaller place than we previously thought.



Source link

Tags: ClubCupexpandedproofTournamentworkWorld
Previous Post

Canelo Vs. Crawford: Why Max Kellerman Sees Shades Of Marvin Hagler Vs. Roberto Duran 1983

Next Post

2025 NBA draft: Value picks, risky moves, ROY predictions

Related Posts

“Better than this clown” – John Terry blasts former England star in Rio Ferdinand dispute
Football

“Better than this clown” – John Terry blasts former England star in Rio Ferdinand dispute

October 4, 2025
As Chelsea nab thrilling statement win, Liverpool continue downward spiral
Football

As Chelsea nab thrilling statement win, Liverpool continue downward spiral

October 4, 2025
Bottle thrown by fan in Leeds end towards Kudus’s head; Porro jokes about being hit by vape
Football

Bottle thrown by fan in Leeds end towards Kudus’s head; Porro jokes about being hit by vape

October 4, 2025
Bitesize Prediction: Strasbourg vs Angers – 05/10/25
Football

Bitesize Prediction: Strasbourg vs Angers – 05/10/25

October 4, 2025
“Really pleased” – Nuno says “important” West Ham star is setting standard in training
Football

“Really pleased” – Nuno says “important” West Ham star is setting standard in training

October 4, 2025
Arsenal have something to put right against West Ham today
Football

Arsenal have something to put right against West Ham today

October 4, 2025
Next Post
2025 NBA draft: Value picks, risky moves, ROY predictions

2025 NBA draft: Value picks, risky moves, ROY predictions

F1 qualifying results: Lando Norris delivers the lap he needed when he needed it most at the Austrian Grand Prix

F1 qualifying results: Lando Norris delivers the lap he needed when he needed it most at the Austrian Grand Prix

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Away Attendances at the Weekend – 8th September 2025

Away Attendances at the Weekend – 8th September 2025

September 8, 2025
How to Buy COTA Tickets – 2025 United States Grand Prix

How to Buy COTA Tickets – 2025 United States Grand Prix

March 12, 2025
Is Max Verstappen in the mix to win the 2025 Drivers’ title?

Is Max Verstappen in the mix to win the 2025 Drivers’ title?

September 25, 2025
Marte, Steer power Cincinnati Reds over Pittsburgh, 14-8

Marte, Steer power Cincinnati Reds over Pittsburgh, 14-8

August 10, 2025
Arthur Jones, who won a Super Bowl with the Ravens, dies at 39

Arthur Jones, who won a Super Bowl with the Ravens, dies at 39

October 4, 2025
Fans urge Miami Heat to sign former MVP after Tyler Herro surgery news, ‘he’d immediately be the best player’

Fans urge Miami Heat to sign former MVP after Tyler Herro surgery news, ‘he’d immediately be the best player’

September 19, 2025
Anthony Davis could return to Mavericks’ lineup during upcoming Eastern road trip: Report

Anthony Davis could return to Mavericks’ lineup during upcoming Eastern road trip: Report

238
Getting with the programme | Arseblog … an Arsenal blog

Getting with the programme | Arseblog … an Arsenal blog

3
The longest an NCAA bracket has ever stayed perfect

The longest an NCAA bracket has ever stayed perfect

1
Hanshin Tigers shut out Cubs, Dodgers for back-to-back wins

Hanshin Tigers shut out Cubs, Dodgers for back-to-back wins

1
Avious Griffin Highlights Boxing Insider Promotion’s Card By Stopping Jose Luis Sanchez In 9.

Avious Griffin Highlights Boxing Insider Promotion’s Card By Stopping Jose Luis Sanchez In 9.

1
Mike Brown says Pacome Dadiet could be a ‘monster’ for the Knicks, but he’s making one mistake

Mike Brown says Pacome Dadiet could be a ‘monster’ for the Knicks, but he’s making one mistake

0
Big Ten football power rankings after Week 6: Two teams separate

Big Ten football power rankings after Week 6: Two teams separate

October 5, 2025
What the teams said – Qualifying at the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix

What the teams said – Qualifying at the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix

October 5, 2025
Mike Brown says Pacome Dadiet could be a ‘monster’ for the Knicks, but he’s making one mistake

Mike Brown says Pacome Dadiet could be a ‘monster’ for the Knicks, but he’s making one mistake

October 5, 2025
Top-25 small forward Cole Cloer commits to NC State

Top-25 small forward Cole Cloer commits to NC State

October 5, 2025
Hurricane weather wreaks havoc on Scotland, limits Dunhill to 54 holes

Hurricane weather wreaks havoc on Scotland, limits Dunhill to 54 holes

October 5, 2025
Mariners leave All-Star starter Bryan Woo off ALDS roster

Mariners leave All-Star starter Bryan Woo off ALDS roster

October 5, 2025
Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn TikTok Pinterest
Got Action

Stay updated with the latest sports news, highlights, and expert analysis at Got Action. From football to basketball, we cover all your favorite sports. Get your daily dose of action now!

CATEGORIES

  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Boxing
  • Football
  • Formula 1
  • Golf
  • MLB
  • MMA
  • NBA
  • NCAA Baseball
  • NCAA Basketball
  • NCAA Football
  • NCAA Sport
  • NFL
  • NHL
  • Tennis
  • Uncategorized

SITEMAP

  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Submit Press Release
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA
  • Cookie Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact us

Copyright © 2025 Got Action.
Got Action is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • NCAA
    • NCAA Football
    • NCAA Basketball
    • NCAA Baseball
    • NCAA Sport
  • Baseball
  • NFL
  • NBA
  • NHL
  • MLB
  • Formula 1
  • MMA
  • Boxing
  • Tennis
  • Golf
  • Sports Picks
Submit Press Release

Copyright © 2025 Got Action.
Got Action is not responsible for the content of external sites.