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New York Post
11 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Post
How Brazil's teams — and their exuberant fans — are defining Club World Cup
New York Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you click or buy through our links. Featured pricing is subject to change. The South American clubs taking part in the FIFA Club World Cup have been one of the tournament's biggest stories on and off the pitch. On it, Brazilians clubs have shocked some of European soccer's best — Botafogo toppled French powerhouse PSG before Flamengo took down England's Chelsea — and off of it, supporters of teams such as Palmeiras and Fluminense have fueled an exciting atmosphere for the reconfigured tournament. It has put a spotlight on the passion South Americans have for their clubs and how the support has helped propel their teams during the Club World Cup. 6 Botafogo players celebrate a goal during a win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup on June 19, 2025. REUTERS At MetLife Stadium, Palmeiras fans packed the sections behind the net, chanting throughout the match while waving banners and flags. And the party continued during a weather delay during one match with fans packing the concourse, banging drums and continuing to chant. Similar scenes played out in stadiums across the United States during the group stage of the Club World Cup. Away from the field, fans turned local landmarks into soccer hubs — it went viral when Palmeiras fans taking over Times Square the night before the tournament. All four of the Brazilian clubs — including Palmeiras and Fluminense, which each played a pair of games at MetLife Stadium during the group stage — advanced to the knockout round beginning Saturday. The turn of events has shocked some, but Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola hardly seemed surprised about the atmosphere the fans have created or about the results on the pitch. 6 Fans of Brazilian club Palmeiras pack the stands at MetLife Stadium for a Club World Cup match on June 19, 2025. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters 'I love when I see Botafogo, all the Brazilian teams, Argentinian teams, how they celebrate, how they are together, I love them,' Guardiola told reporters recently. 'I like how all the games are tight, except one or two, and people are surprised, European teams lose. … Welcome to the real world, my friends.' The strong support has been bolstered by fans willing to travel to the United States to follow their favorite clubs, along with a strong base of support already in North America. Palmeiras, for example, has a club-recognized group called Palmeiras Consulate in New York, which has organized a number of events since the start of the Club World Cup earlier this month. 6 Palmeiras forward Jose Manuel Lopez celebrates with teammates after scoring against Egypt's Al-Ahly in the Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium on June 19, 2025. AFP via Getty Images Adriano Branco helped create the group two years ago after he relocated from Brazil to the New York area for work. In a conversation with The Post, he called helping to bring together so many fans from so many backgrounds a 'rewarding experience.' 'I'm having the time of my life to see people that are in the U.S. [and] have never left the U.S. as their first time watching a [Palmeiras] match,' he said. 'I could see a lot of supporters crying, from the emotion of being in the atmosphere of the stadium. And I can tell you that what you saw at the stadium here is the same as you would see in Brazil if you were there in a big match. 'For me, I was telling friends, I don't think I've ever been that happy in my life with everything that's happening surrounding Palmeiras here in New York.' 6 Botafogo coach Renato Paiva. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Branco hasn't been surprised by the support the South American clubs have had — Palmeiras in particular — but the sheer number of fans that have shown up has been eye-opening. He estimated that 30,000 of the 45,000 fans announced for Palmeiras' first match against Porto on June 15 had been there to support the Brazilian side. 'To be honest, I was not surprised [about the enthusiasm], but I was surprised at the size, at the quantity,' he said. 6 Brazil's Fluminense was backed by fans young and old at a Club World Cup match at MetLife Stadium on June 21, 2025. REUTERS The Club World Cup has allowed other fans to come together as well. Egyptian side Al Ahly also saw a sizable turnout of supported during their stint in the tournament and fans praising the unity the games created. 'It's incredible,' said Flobatir Abdou, who drove down from Massachusetts to see Al Ahly face Palmeiras last week. 'Coming from Egypt, soccer is one thing that unites everybody together and having everybody support the same club, same badge, it's a whole [different] feeling, especially in a stadium like this with a team like this, and a moment like this.' 'I met a lot of people from Miami, Orlando, New York, New Jersey. It's a lot of people from different states coming together,' said a Palmeiras fan who identified himself as Guilerme. 6 Palmeiras' Mauricio celebrates scoring their second goal with teammates on June 23. REUTERS The Club World Cup Round of 16 begins Saturday with an all-Brazilian clash between Palmeiras and Botafogo in Philadelphia. Sunday's slate includes a showdown between Lionel Messi's Inter Miami and his former club PSG, as well as Brazil's Flamengo taking on Bayern Munich. All matches are streaming for free on DAZN.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Updated Club World Cup power rankings: Knockout stage teams re-ranked, and a favorite reemerges
The 2025 Club World Cup has reached its midway point. With two weeks gone, half of the 32 teams are gone; the other half are preparing for the knockout stages, which begin Saturday. And after some early upsets, order has (mostly) been restored. Eleven of the top 12 teams in our pre-tournament power rankings have reached the Round of 16. Thirteen of the 16 are from Europe or Brazil. The favorites to win the Club World Cup on June 14, when it kicked off, are largely still the favorites now. Advertisement But there has been some shuffling. Some European teams look disinterested or exhausted. Some challengers from other continents have risen. Below is our re-ranking of the 16 teams remaining after the group stage. (Pre-tournament ranks are in parentheses.) After a rocky season and a $400 million refresh, Manchester City suddenly look likes itself again. (Getty Images) (picture alliance via Getty Images) 1. Manchester City (4) Sure, Man City's group-stage opponents weren't exactly world-beaters. And sure, the flaws that haunted Pep Guardiola throughout the 2024-25 season could soon reappear. But, having spent over $400 million on new signings this calendar year, the club that ruled England for the better part of a decade is rolling once again. As if to flaunt his wealth, Guardiola played two entirely different starting 11s against Wydad and Al Ain. A mixture of the two then ripped apart Juventus, and looked like a reborn juggernaut. Advertisement The Cityzens, remember, were the betting favorites when this competition first took shape a year ago. After 10 rocky months, they're back. 2. PSG (1) After 90 minutes out west, the European champions looked like they'd roll to their fourth title of 2025. After 270, they look … a bit stuck? Perhaps dry pitches played a role. Or, perhaps, there was an emotional ebb after that flying 4-0 win over Atlético Madrid on opening weekend. Either way, an aggregate scoreline of 2-1 against Botafogo and the Seattle Sounders is a bit ominous. It's tough to tell whether the Parisians will be able to refind their Champions League form in the knockout rounds. 3. Real Madrid (2) Unsurprisingly, a few new faces and so little training time, the Xabi Alonso era got off to a tepid start. But even by their third game, Los Blancos seemed to have found a bit of a rhythm. Jude Bellingham is locked in. Kylian Mbappé is still absent, having been hospitalized with an illness early in the group stage, but if he can return to fitness and form, Real Madrid can continue to grow into this tournament — and win it. 4. Bayern Munich (3) The Bavarians were awesome — sharp, composed, organized, incisive — against Boca Juniors. They were mostly unlucky against Benfica. Even setting aside their 10-0 stomping of poor Auckland City, and even though their dominance of Benfica didn't yield a goal, they were one of the most impressive teams throughout the group stage. Michael Olise is class personified. CR Flamengo is dreaming big, and Bruno Henrique is helping lead the charge. (Getty Images) (Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images) 5. Flamengo (12) Perhaps we're overreacting to one game — a 3-1 win over Chelsea on Matchday 2. But nobody else has stepped up to challenge the top four, so … why not Flamengo? Brazil's biggest club has been as advertised. It has the talent and the drive to make a deep run. It has the most boisterous fan backing of any club remaining. Advertisement Unfortunately, despite winning its group, its knockout-round path appears to go through all four of Bayern, PSG, Real Madrid and Man City. 6. Chelsea (6) The Blues recovered from their Flamengo wounds, took care of business against Espérance Tunis, and stumbled into a blessing. Thanks to upsets in Groups B and D, rather than face Bayern and PSG in the first two knockout rounds, they'll get Benfica, then either Palmeiras or Botafogo. And they certainly have enough attacking firepower to make the most of their luck. 7. Palmeiras (11) To be frank, Palmeiras haven't played flowing football. They didn't exactly sprint to the top of Group A. But they have a wise manager, Abel Ferreira; and excellent depth, as evidenced by their comeback against Inter Miami. They have 'two or even three options per position, at a very high level," Miami coach Javier Mascherano said. They're a semifinal threat. 8. Inter Milan (5) The Nerazzurri have looked old and not quite fully invested in the Club World Cup. Or maybe they're just dragging, physically and mentally, after their 2024-25 season ended in such a brutal combination of humiliation and heartbreak. Of course, they still plodded to the top of Group E, and now they have a favorable Round of 16 matchup. But we'd be surprised to see them in the semis. 9. Juventus (9) There's little shame in getting shredded by Man City — especially when you've done the shredding yourself in your first two games, albeit against Al Ain and Wydad. But Juventus is still, clearly, a work in progress under Igor Tudor. A 2025-26 Serie A title challenge is a possibility, but a Club World Cup title? Nah, probably not. Advertisement 10. Benfica (10) What a weird group stage. Benfica fell two goals behind to a bad Boca Juniors team, then sparked into life and salvaged a draw (via a dubious penalty and set piece). Next came a stagnant first half against Auckland City, followed by a weather delay, followed by … a five-goal second-half outburst. And finally, a 1-0 win over Bayern Munich? Sure. We have no clue what to make of this team entering a Round of 16 matchup with Chelsea. 11. Al Hilal (14) Saudi Arabia's lone representative was extremely impressive against Real Madrid, then sufficiently impressive against Salzburg and Pachuca. Its squad is top-heavy, and some stars aren't fully fit, so there's a chance the wear and tear (and heat) of this tournament take their toll in the Round of 16. There's also a chance Manchester CIty is just too dang powerful. But Al Hilal won't be a pushover. 12. Borussia Dortmund (7) They've complained about pitches and heat. They had their subs watch one first half from their locker room. They got outshot — by a 2:1 ratio, twice! — and out-xG'd by Fluminense and Mamelodi Sundowns. Advertisement Somehow, they still bumbled their way to the top of Group F. But they never once played like title contenders. 13. Botafogo (18) Although they became the first darlings of the tournament with a 1-0 upset of PSG, the reigning champs of Brazil and South America have struggled in 2025. And in some sense, the Club World Cup has been no exception. Their cumulative Expected Goal differential (xGD) — 1.9 xG for, 6.5 xGA — was the worst of any team that advanced. On a positive note, however, they owned their Round of 16 opponent, Palmeiras, in 2024. Botafogo ousted O Verdão from the Copa Libertadores, and won both meetings in the Brasileirão. (Their first league meeting of 2025, on opening weekend, ended 0-0.) Sergio Ramos and Monterrey were all control and composure in the Club World Cup group stage. (Photo by) (Stu Forster via Getty Images) 14. Monterrey (16) Well, after a telenovela-like buildup to the Club World Cup, Rayados were … quite businesslike in Group E. They neutralized Inter and River, then stormed past Urawa Reds, to a winnable Round of 16 matchup with Dortmund. (And don't you dare underestimate Sergio Ramos in a knockout tournament!) 15. Inter Miami (21) Miami played some of its best soccer of the calendar year in a win over Porto and a draw with Palmeiras. It 'managed' both games, as Lionel Messi and others said, far better than it usually does. Homegrown players held their own. Messi and Luis Suarez did their thing. 'We showed that we can hang,' defender Noah Allen said, 'when people didn't believe in us.' Advertisement But can they hang with PSG? Uh, that's another story. 16. Fluminense (22) Fluminense surprised some folks when it outplayed Dortmund. Subsequent games have suggested that was less about Flu, more about Dortmund. The Brazilian side is probably capable of slowing down Inter Milan in the Round of 16, but anything beyond an ugly win and an uneventful quarterfinal exit would be stunning.
NDTV
a day ago
- Sport
- NDTV
Manchester City Send Big Message To Club World Cup Opponents, Thrash Juventus 5-2
Manchester City turned on the style to seal top spot in Group G at the Club World Cup with an emphatic 5-2 win over Juventus on Thursday. The third straight victory for Pep Guardiola's side increases the chances of City avoiding a meeting with Real Madrid in the last 16 -- a fate that may now await Juventus. City and Juve will not know their opponent until the final pair of games in Group H conclude later on Friday. A positive day for City saw 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri make his first start since rupturing his ACL in September and Guardiola's side, featuring several new faces, look significantly improved on the team which struggled to finish 13 points behind Premier League champions Liverpool last season. City were on top from the outset with a Bernardo Silva header forcing Juve keeper Michele Di Gregorio to save with his feet in the fifth minute. Four minutes later, Guardiola's new-look side had the lead when after a characteristic, patient build-up, Rayan Ait-Nouri split the Juve defence with a superb pass which Jeremy Doku collected and dispatched into the far corner. Juve were gifted an equaliser when City's Brazilian keeper Ederson's pass out was intercepted by Teun Koopmeiners who marched into the box and confidently fired home. Juve returned the gift though in the 26th minute when French defender Pierre Kalulu, under no pressure, turned a low cross from Matheus Nunes into his own net. A short but intense downpour just before half-time cooled the stadium down and Guardiola introduced his prolific Norwegian striker Erling Haaland at the break and it took just seven minutes for him to find the scoresheet. Rodri return Tijjani Reijnders fed Matheus Nunes whose low cross found an unmarked Haaland in the middle and while it wasn't the cleanest of finishes from close range, the striker celebrated his 300th career goal. Rodri left the field in the 66th minute to applause as Ilkay Gundogan took over his role in the centre of midfield but City continued to over-run the Turin side. Haaland latched on to a long ball from Ederson and looked for fellow sub Phil Foden in the middle but put his cross beyond the England man only for Savinho to recover it and set-up Foden for a simple conversion. Savinho then made made it 5-1 when after a Haaland shot was saved by De Gregorio's feet, the Brazilian met the loose ball with a thundering drive which flew in off the underside of the bar. Juventus had created little but restored a little pride when Kenan Yildiz produced a lovely touch and clever pass to set Dusan Vlahovic free and the Serbian beat Ederson from the edge of the box. "It has been a long time since we had a performance like this on and off the ball. The players were committed and we are happy to beat a top side," Guardiola said afterwards. "This is just one game, but I think the players felt again what it was like to be a good team. The belief always comes from your performances, not your past," added Guardiola, who was delighted to have Rodri back at the heart of his team. "We have missed him a lot. He knows exactly what he has to do with the ball, and his personality. I didn't expect him to play as many minutes. He will be ready for the next one. Everybody gave an incredible performance," he said. For Juventus it was a mauling that they will need to quickly recover from before their last 16 game. "They have much stronger players than us and I'm not going to look for excuses," said Croatian coach Igor Tudor. "We suffered. We weren't able to steal the ball, we were deep and we didn't play well with the ball. We paid for everything, we had to be perfect but they always arrived first to the ball," he added. "This defeat does not put anything into perspective, we played against the best team in the world. I have nothing to reproach my players for, we'll take this blow, now we'll rest and move on".
News18
a day ago
- Sport
- News18
'My Future Is Here': Ederson Committed To Man City; Slams Exit Rumours
Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson has dismissed reports of his impending departure from the club in the close season as false. Ederson, who is entering the final year of his contract, has been City's first-choice goalkeeper since joining from Benfica for 40 million euros ($46.90 million) in 2017. The 31-year-old has secured six Premier League titles and the Champions League with City, and has won the Premier League Golden Glove three times for the most clean sheets. Despite being heavily linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League and receiving what he described as an 'unusual proposal" in October, Ederson stated at the Club World Cup that he remains committed to City. 🗣️ 'My future is here."Ederson says he is staying at Manchester City despite reports linking him with a move to Saudi Arabia. — Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) June 26, 2025 'No, my future is here," Ederson told reporters. City will face Juventus on Thursday at Orlando's Camping World Stadium in their final group match and could meet Real Madrid in the last 16. 'It's life," Ederson said. 'If Real Madrid comes, I will play and try to win." Al Nassr showed interest in Ederson last summer, although Pep Guardiola later revealed City never received an acceptable offer. Guardiola also stated he was unaware of the specifics of Ederson's contract. The keeper will leave as a free agent next year if the club does not extend his contract. 'What I can say, I'm so pleased and delighted with what I'm seeing in the training sessions and delighted that Eddie is still with us," Guardiola said. 'We cannot define what we have done in this incredible, spectacular decade without him. His contribution has been massive in many, many aspects, and I'm really pleased." (with AFP inputs)
News18
a day ago
- Sport
- News18
Club World Cup 2025: Man City Crush Juventus In 5-2 Rout; Maintain Perfect Record Upon Rodri Return
City and Juventus will learn their opponent after the final pair of games in Group H conclude later on Friday. Rodri returns It was a promising day for City, featuring the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, who made his first start since rupturing his ACL in September. Guardiola's side, incorporating several fresh faces, appeared significantly stronger than the squad that finished 13 points behind Premier League champions Liverpool last season. Manchester City dominated from the outset, with Bernardo Silva testing Juventus keeper Michele Di Gregorio in the fifth minute. Four minutes later, Rayan Ait-Nouri's incisive pass found Jeremy Doku, who finished coolly to put City ahead. Juventus briefly equalised when Ederson's poor pass was pounced on by Teun Koopmeiners, who scored confidently. But a 26th-minute own goal by Pierre Kalulu, turning in a Matheus Nunes cross under no pressure, restored City's lead. After a brief downpour, Erling Haaland came on at halftime and needed just seven minutes to score his 300th career goal, tapping in from a Nunes cross. City remained in control. Haaland's overhit cross was recovered by Savinho, who set up Phil Foden for an easy finish. Moments later, Savinho smashed in City's fifth after Haaland's shot was saved. Juventus managed a late consolation through Dusan Vlahovic, who scored after a slick pass from Kenan Yildiz. 'It has been a long time since we had a performance like this on and off the ball. The players were committed, and we are happy to beat a top side," Guardiola said afterwards. For Juventus, it was a mauling that they will need to quickly recover from before their last 16 game.
