Waiting to check the sports balance of the Club World Cup, FIFA invention For filling the only period of the year without football matches does not point to media or economic success. This Saturday begins the new competition in the United States, a little football scenario and that has become conflicting for the policies against immigrants from President Donald Trump. And it is precisely the Latin fans who keep the flame of interest in football on, and in deference to them the inauguration in Miami was scheduled. The biggest disturbances, however, are recorded in Los Angeles (California), another area of great American immigration concentration.
The Inter de Miami, with the old Barcelona glories headed by Lionel Messi (More Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, with Javier Mascherano de Coach), will open the tournament against the Ahly of Egypt in the early morning (2 h.) From Saturday to Sunday. The third game will already offer one of the few strong dishes of the competition of the 44 scheduled in the group stage: Atlético Madrid-Paris Saint Germain. A match that was already played on the fourth day of the Champions League, with rojiblanco victory in Paris (1-2).
Lionel Messi, with the new Inter Miami shirt. / Inter Miami / Efe
Vacation era
The World Cup has not generated any enthusiasm since its lighting. The summers of the odd years They were always those of the big vacation for elite soccer players, without continental tournaments (Eurocup and Copa América), without World Cups and without Olympic Games, but FIFA took a club competition out of the sleeve to have one that gave it a quota of prominence. Although he already had it: the World Cup that faced the champions of each Confederation and that came from the former Intercontinental Cup. The problem is that It was not a good or lucrative business for brief (six participants, one in each confederation) and insulso: the final is a European against an American. This time it will be 32 and the final will presumably, between a European and an American.
Messi and his ex -rags (Suarez, Alba, Busquets and Mascherano) open the competition at home, in Miami in front of the Ahly of Egypt: at 2 in the morning from Saturday to Sunday.
He exaggerated number of participants, Many strangers by the general public (Al Ain, Al Hilal, Ulsan, Auckland, Wydad), others of questionable level (Urawa Red Diamonds, Mamelodi Slowns, Espérance, Salzburg, to cite a European) and the absence of more prestigious and striking clubs (Barça, Liverpool, Naples …) They have stopped the attraction of fans. More deterrent are being the mass arrests of immigrants, which will not go to the stadiums for fear of raids like those that are taking place in Los Angelesthe city where Atlético will debut.
The repression of Trump's government against immigrants represses Latin fans for the fear of raids even in stadiums.
Atlético de Madrid players, in the training on Wednesday at the Coliseum Memorial Stadium in Los Angeles. / Arrórizo / EFE Armando
Sale in entrances
A test of general disinterest is observed in the sale of tickets, at the price of balance (it is a say) for the very expensive cost to which they were fixed: the cheapest for the inter Miami-at ahly worth $ 349 (303 euros) in December. Now you can buy at 48 euros. The cheapest seat to see the Real Madrid premiere against Al-Hilal still resists 250 euros. Tickets have not been exhausted in any game.
The World Cup was already cursed, because the Covid-19 pandemic forced its postponement. Five years later, He has entered with shoeler in the calendaraltering it and suppressing the usual rest era for soccer players in Europe. FIFA has been forced to open an exceptional signing market period that has advanced the transfer of soccer players from one club to another.
Protesters in Los Angeles against agents of the National Guard on another day of disturbances and protests against Donald Trump's policies. / Maximilian Haupt / dpa
The rich have taken advantage of the early opening and stand out, in millions invested, Real Madrid, which has paid 70 for its new coach Xabi Alonso, two defenses (Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold) and has struck another 45 plus 15 in variables for the Argentine Franco Mastantuono, who will play with the River Plate. Like the preferred candidate to occupy the left side, Álvaro Carreras, Del Benfica. Manchester City has spent double (130.3 million) in four players: Rayan Aït-Nouri, Tijani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki and goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli.
Real Madrid and Manchester City lead the investment of signings in the opening of the market advanced by the tournament.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, during his presentation as a new Real Madrid player. / AFP7 via Europa Press
Brazilians and Argentines
The classification by accumulated sports merits promotes the presence of four Brazilian and two Argentine teams in the quotas granted to South America. Los Brasileños (Palmeiras, Flamengo, Fluminense y Botafogo) They have been the last four champions of Conmebol and the Argentines (Boca Juniors and River Plate), the best accumulated performance between 2021 and 2024. Hence the Barça does not participate that is not among the first nine of the European ranking. Advanced even by the Red Bull Salzburg. Brazilians (141) and Argentines (103) are the nationalities of greater presence among the players, to light years of the Spanish players (54) and Portuguese (49).
Two thousand Flamengo fans fire the team by leaving for Atlantic City, where he prepares for the Club World Cup. / Antonio Lacerda / EFE
Money is the greatest incentive for the participants, who have not been rechdated by the same reason why they accept to play in Saudi Arabia, Qatar or in the Arab Emirates. Infantino did not hide by illuminating the competition, presuming that his creation would disburse “The biggest amount of metallic awards in history”, recreating in the round number of 1,000 million dollars (870 million euros, to the most recent change).
Infantino presumed, to attract the interest of clubs, that the tournament would give the greatest economic endowment in history: one billion dollars.
Franco Mastantuono celebrates a penalty goal with the River Plate in the Copa Libertadores. / Juan Mabromata / AFP
Million for the champion
The 12 European clubs have received a fixed 10 million for participating, which can triple with some variables, and increase the money bag as it advances in each tie. The future champion, if he wins the three games of the group will add others 87 million to its coffers.
The tournament will be played in 12 stadiums, of which three are in Florida, perhaps the most football state (one in Miami, headquarters of the opening match, and two in Orlando). The semifinals and the final, on the other hand, will be held at the Metlife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey), with capacity for 82,500 spectators.
