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I Was Wrong About The Club World Cup
I Was Wrong About The Club World Cup
I will admit it. I was wrong.
This is never an easy thing to admit, especially to ourselves, but sometimes it has to be done. This is one of those times.
I was wrong about the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
Ever since the U.S. was announced as the hosts of the tournament, I have not been excited. Heading into the tournament, I was still not excited.
I created a preview post for Vendetta on the tournament, but admittedly, I did not expect myself to watch more than a couple of group stage games and then maybe start tuning in more during the knockout stages.
I thought the tournament was going to suck, plain and simple. I thought players, especially from the larger European teams, would treat this like they treat preseason friendlies. I thought there would be no fan interest. And, most relevantly for a soccer fan, I thought the games were going to be boring and the tournament was going to lack interesting storylines and overall appeal.
Boy, was I wrong.
The opening match between Inter Miami and Al Ahly was maybe the most entertaining 0-0 game I have ever seen. The Benfica versus Boca Juniors game was one of the most entertaining matches any soccer fan could ever ask for.
There have been goals, red cards, and surprising results. There have been smaller teams from outside of Europe hanging with the big boys. There have been amateur players from New Zealand who have already captured the hearts of soccer fans around the world.
And, most importantly, there has been passion from both fans and players, the kind of passion you would expect from a World Cup.
I still have reservations about the Club World Cup. The added matches to an already crowded footballing calendar are not great for the players, especially with the 2026 FIFA World Cup coming up next year. There is also no need for some of these games, especially between teams like Mamelodi Sundowns and Ulsan HD, to be played in large stadiums when there was never going to be serious fan interest in these kinds of matches anyway.
However, I have found myself pleasantly surprised by this tournament. It is an enjoyable watch, and if you call yourself a soccer fan, then I implore you to start watching and give the tournament a chance, just as I did.
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