Extreme heat, poor pitches & plenty of goals – Club World Cup reaches halfway

With two weeks of knockout matches still in play, FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup in the United States is now in its final group stage.

The competition, which has grown from seven to 32 teams, has been criticized for having matches that are played in extreme temperatures and frequently with low attendance.

The Club World Cup, which will feature 48 nations and take place in 16 cities across Canada, the US, and Mexico, is viewed as a purely financial tool by critics who claim that it is only intended to boost FIFA’s finances. Football’s governing body also claims that the event is necessary to prepare for the upcoming five-week World Cup, which will take place in 16 cities across the country, including Mexico and Canada.

There have been a lot of sharp contrasts in this. From incredibly one-sided thrashings, like Bayern Munich’s 10-0 defeat of Auckland City, to thrilling matches with 4-4 and 4-3 scorelines, Bayern Munich set a new record for the tournament.

There have been significant concerns about the players’ workload since the announcement of the tournament expansion, especially given that the World Cup is scheduled for in a year.

Real Madrid has now played 65 games since the start of the main European seasons in August, with the final game set for them to come after 62 games for Inter Milan, 61 for Paris St-Germain, and 61 for both Chelsea and Manchester City, respectively.

The temperatures in which the matches are being held have only made things worse. In Charlotte, North Carolina, during the game between Bayern Munich and Benfica, temperatures reached 36C, and Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca claimed it was “impossible” to hold regular training sessions despite a “code red” severe heat warning in Philadelphia.

Players have been attempting to cool themselves down by hurling to the shade, frequently while sporting ice-cold towels or spraying water bottles over their heads.

Because of the threat of thunderstorms, five games in American stadiums are delayed by an additional 10 miles because of the lack of lightning.

18 of the 48 group games had crowds of more than 40 000, and they all had fantastic atmospheres.

At the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, where Paris St-Germain defeated Atletico Madrid 4-0, was the highest attendance so far, with 80, 619 people.

Top ten Club World Cup attendances

However, many games did not sell as well, with nearly 50 000 seats unoccupied for Chelsea’s opening game against Los Angeles FC in Atlanta.

Eight of the ten matches with the lowest attendances occurred between Monday and Friday, and six of those games started between midday and 3 p.m. local time. Fifa is trying to balance the local demand for tickets, tournament prices, and match scheduling to meet the lucrative television markets in Europe and Asia.

Worst 10 teams in the World Cup’s ten teams were there

Luis Enrique, the manager of PSG, has spoken out against the playing surfaces, arguing that FIFA needs to “bear in mind” the quality of both match and training pitches if it wants the Club World Cup to be “the most high-level competition in the world.”

After his team defeated the Seattle Sounders 2-0, the 55-year-old said, “I wouldn’t imagine an NBA court full of holes.”

The state of the field of play is what really matters to me. The ball bounces almost like an ant rabbit would sway.

After his team defeated Pachuca 3-1, Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham also found fault with the pitch.

Simply put, take it very seriously. Given that there is a prize pot worth $ 775 million, which will be divided between the 32 teams, with the winners receiving up to $ 97 million, that is understandable.

For each round they complete, clubs will receive a specific score. They receive an additional £5.8 million for reaching the last 16, another $ 10.1 million for making the quarter-finals, $ 16.2 million for making the semi-finals, $ 32, $ 32, $ 32, $ 30 million for winning the entire thing, and a draw of $ 800, 000 for winning the group stage.

Football data experts Opta reported that all 11 of Europe’s teams were the most likely to win the trophy before the competition even started.

However, three of the continent’s 12 teams left after finishing third in their respective groups, with Porto, Atletico Madrid, and Red Bull Salzburg.

Six South American teams were present, but both Argentina and Brazil were eliminated, and all four of them managed to survive, with Palmeiras and Botafogo tying up in the last-16.

Inter Miami and Mexico’s Monterrey are the only remaining Asian teams in the world, while Saudi Arabian outfit Al Hilal, who face Manchester City in the first knockout round, are the only other two of the five teams still in play.

All four African teams were unable to advance out of their groups, just like Oceania’s only representative Auckland City, despite their memorable 1-1 draw with Argentina’s Boca Juniors.

Last 16 games (all BST)