There was little or no buzz ahead of the 2025 Club World Cup.
FIFA tried their best to generate excitement among football lovers but did not achieve much.
They included Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami under a special ‘host nation’ spot for the regular-season winners of MLS.
FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, even commented that Al Nassr superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo “might play in the Club World Cup” and increased the winner’s prize money by a whopping $35m.
But there are other factors that make any tournament successful.
One of them is the weather.
Players have had to battle through difficult conditions for some matches, as kick-offs are scheduled at noon and 3pm local time on scorching hot summer days.
For the Paris Saint-Germain vs Atletico Madrid group match at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, the temperature was recorded at 31 degrees Celsius shortly after kick-off at midday local time.
PSG manager, Luis Enrique, claimed afterwards that the heat “had an impact on the game.”
The fans have not been thronging to the stadium to watch either.
Messi-mania brought them in for the opening fixture against Al Ahly, and PSG thrashed Atletico Madrid in front of 80,000 fans in Los Angeles a day later.
But Monday’s Chelsea vs LAFC encounter at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta was played out in front of 22,137 spectators – less than one-third of the stadium’s 75,000 seat capacity.
On the same day, a Group C match between Flamengo and Esperance attracted 25,797 fans to Philadelphia’s 69,000-seat Lincoln Financial Field, representing a 37.4% attendance rate.
After one week of the Club World Cup, how has it gone?
“My opinion of it before the tournament started, was that it was unnecessary and just an extra set of games adding to the already awful schedule,” Clinton McDubus, a top football analyst and podcaster, tells Ekwutosblog.
“Now, while I still think the schedule is crazy, my opinion on the tournament itself has changed.
“The idea makes some sense, but there has to be a way to do it better.
“Of course, it’s the first edition. So it will grow with time. I like the idea of it now, especially for the non-European teams.”
McDubus also shared some suggestions as to how FIFA could make the competition better.
He said: “Where it’s hosted, to begin with. So far, America seems to be a poor choice.
“The incessant weather stoppages, the attendance issues (some due to timing of games, and also due to how difficult it is to even get a visa to the USA right now).
“Also, the ‘Superior Player of the Match’ decisions being publicly voted has led to integrity issues.”
According to McDubus, the quality of football has been generally okay.
“I think the quality has been generally very good, apart from some obvious exceptions like the Bayern/Auckland game,” he said.
“The South American and African teams have shown a lot of quality, especially.
“Many expected this to be a walk in the park for the European teams but we’ve seen a bunch of them fail to win so far,” he added.
We have gotten the chance to see every of the 32 teams at the tournament.
Some of the early favourites have not set America alight.
Real Madrid, for instance, played out a 1-1 draw with a competent Al-Hilal side. UEFA Champions League finalists Inter Milan, were also held to a 1-1 draw by Monterrey.
In their second group fixtures, PSG and Chelsea have suffered shock defeats to Palmeiras and Flamengo..
But for McDubus, his favourites to win from what he has seen so far, is PSG – the current champions of Europe.
“I think PSG look unstoppable right now. They should be regarded as favourites.
“Then Manchester City, Bayern and Real Madrid,” he added.
