The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is off and running, with three strong days of fun and drama already in the books. So let’s get you caught up with what you missed and what’s ahead today and tomorrow.
Check in with ESPN as we bring you the latest news and analysis, all the way up to the tournament final at MetLife Stadium on July 13.
The lead: PSG pick up where they left off
PASADENA, Calif. — Atlético Madrid boss Diego Simeone fell to his knees on the Rose Bowl touchline, head in his hands, as striker Alexander Sørloth missed a golden opportunity — alone at the far post, with Paris Saint-Germain keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma beaten — to put his side back in the match. It was the kind of chance Sørloth buries in LaLiga, where he ended the season on fire, scoring seven goals in four games. But here in Pasadena, his shot flew over the bar, and with it went Atlético’s chances of getting something from this opening game in Group B.
Atlético were 2-0 down at that point; it ended 4-0. A match that was billed as the first “big clash” of the Club World Cup — perhaps a little Eurocentrically — was instead a stroll at the Rose Bowl for PSG. The UEFA Champions League winners were far superior, controlling possession (74.2%), working relentlessly hard off the ball, and creating better chances (13 in total, to Atlético’s four). Fabián Ruiz and Vitinha scored two classy first-half goals, exploiting some slack defending, before substitutes Senny Mayulu and Lee Kang-in made sure the final score reflected PSG’s true dominance.
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A midday kickoff and difficult stadium access meant many fans were still making their way into the vast, concrete arena in the 19th minute when Ruiz put PSG ahead. Crowds of over 90,000 have filled the stadium for FIFA World Cup finals. Here, the official attendance, eventually, was an impressive 80,619. Walking around the concourse prematch, seeing the number of PSG shirts, and listening to the noise inside, it felt like many of them were supporting the European champions.
It was hot: about 84 degrees Fahrenheit (29 degrees Celsius) at noon, and 90 (32 degrees Celsius) by halftime. PSG boss Luis Enrique said it was a game “defined by the heat” but, as Simeone admitted, that applied to both teams, and only Atlético’s performance was sluggish. From kickoff, there were grumbles from Atlético-supporting Spanish journalists in the press box, questioning the team’s lack of intensity. It felt more preseason friendly than season-defining tournament.
The best of Atlético came at either end of the pitch: from Julián Álvarez, who had a goal disallowed, and goalkeeper Jan Oblak, who kept the score somewhat respectable, tipping one shot from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia onto the crossbar. The worst was defender Clément Lenglet, who inexplicably backed off player-of-the-match Vitinha as he advanced to score PSG’s second, and was later sent off.
PSG’s victory was collective, another demonstration of Luis Enrique’s triumph in molding a brilliantly cohesive, seamless team. Every player delivered, and the injured Ousmane Dembélé was not missed.
“The club is hungry, the fans are hungry, and the players are hungry,” Luis Enrique said postmatch. They haven’t been sated by winning the Champions League. And this was a result that — if they weren’t already — instantly installed them among the favorites to win this competition. — Alex Kirkland
Today’s top Club World Cup news
• PSG want to make ‘more history’ at Club World Cup• Estêvão: Chelsea move ‘a dream’ but focused on CWC• Inter Milan’s Taremi stuck in Iran, will miss Club World Cup
Sights and sounds around FIFA Club World Cup
Man City flying under the radar in Florida
BOCA RATON, Fla. — Manchester City are keeping a low profile at their training base in Boca Raton. Using the facilities at Lynn University, there’s nothing to suggest a Premier League team is there except for a few club crests around one of the soccer fields.
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Players and staff aren’t using marked buses to get to and from the team hotel; instead, the club has hired coaches from FloridaTours.com. There were only a handful of cameras present for City’s first training session on Friday morning and they were outnumbered by local police who arrived on motorcycles to ensure security was on hand.
On the other side of the Lynn campus, children of various ages are taking on activities as part of a summer camp, blissfully unaware that Phil Foden and Erling Haaland are only a short walk away. City are flying under the radar in Florida. Probably just how City boss Pep Guardiola likes it. — Rob Dawson
Star player of the day
Jamal Musiala
It might not have been the toughest game he’ll ever play, but the Bayern Munich playmaker scored a 23-minute hat trick after coming in as a second-half sub in Sunday’s 10-0 rout of Auckland City. Musiala is the present and future for Bayern Munich, committing to a new contract back in February that will keep him at the Allianz Arena through 2030. He is the man who will lead this ongoing rebuild of a titan in transition.
Sunday’s comfy win showed the best of Musiala, and while tougher trials and tribulations are inevitably in his future, you can do worse than enjoying the here and now. Having torn his hamstring in April and missing the run-in, Sunday marked an immediate return to fitness and form for Musiala. His first goal was a neat curving effort far too good for keeper Conor Tracey, with a penalty and opportunistic finish rounding out his day. Though several Bayern players stood out on a sunny afternoon at Cincinnati’s TQO Stadium, Musiala deserves his flowers in particular after a bumpy end to the 2024-25 season. — James Tyler
1:16
Did Bayern Munich disrespect Auckland City with 10-0 win?
Frank Leboeuf reacts to Bayern Munich’s 10-0 win against Auckland City at the Club World Cup.
Match previews, odds for Tuesday
Chelsea vs. LAFC (Atlanta, 3 p.m. ET)
Odds (via ESPN BET): Chelsea (-550), Draw (+550), LAFC (+950)
Neither team has had much preparation time, given LAFC only qualified for the tournament on June 1 after winning a play-off against Club America. The place became available when FIFA kicked out Club Leon due to being part of the same ownership group as another team in the competition: Mexican side Pachuca. Chelsea arrive on a high having finished fourth in the Premier League before winning the UEFA Conference League. New striker Liam Delap will want to impress after completing a £30 million move from Ipswich Town and is aiming to lead Chelsea’s attack, following in the footsteps of, among others, LAFC forward Olivier Giroud. The 38-year-old spent three years at Stamford Bridge up to 2021. LAFC are underdogs but can take confidence from a 10-game unbeaten run across all competitions. — James Olley
Boca Juniors vs. Benfica (Miami, 6 p.m.)
Odds (via ESPN BET): Boca Juniors (+380, Draw (+280), Benfica (-140)
Boca Juniors enter the Club World Cup with a new head coach as Miguel Angel Russo returns for his third stint with the Argentine giants. He previously led the team in 2007 and 2020-21, inspiring Boca to the Copa Libertadores trophy and three other titles. Though Boca are coming off a second-place finish in the first phase of the Argentine league and a quarterfinal exit in the playoffs, Benfica should be the favorites heading into the match after concluding the 2024-25 season in second place with 80 points in 34 games.
The Portuguese team might be stronger throughout the 90 minutes, but thousands of Boca fans have made the journey to Miami to assure the Argentine club see an advantage off the field. — Lizzy Becherano
Flamengo vs. Esperance de Tunis (Philadelphia, 9 p.m.)
Odds (via ESPN BET): Flamengo (-300), Draw (+425), Esperance (+700)
Eighteen years after leaving Brazil for Italy, Jorginho returns to the country of his birth in style, at the biggest club of all: Flamengo. The former Arsenal star will be handed the keys to a midfield with plenty of creativity and technical ability, with the likes of Giorgian de Arrascaeta and Gerson. Flamengo are historically Brazil’s most popular club and their blend of veterans (many of them hardened in Europe, such as Danilo, Alex Sandro and Luiz Araujo) make them one of the toughest South American teams in the competition. They take on an Esperance side that has not been shy about attracting talent from across Africa (South Africa forward Elias Mokwana and Nigeria midfielder Onuche Ogbelu) as well as Brazil itself: Yan Sasse, who has been a revelation, and target man Rodrigo Rodrigues. — Tyler
