3 biggest surprises from Club World Cup group stage
The group stage at the revamped Club World Cup is in the books. Below, we're looking back on the biggest surprises from the tournament's opening two weeks in the United States.
Brazilians step up to European challenge
Palmeiras boss Abel Ferreira said before the tournament that the gap between his team and European sides was "minimal." That seems true of his team, and also for fellow Brazilian outfits Botafogo, Flamengo, and Fluminense.
Botafogo's 1-0 loss to Atletico Madrid was the only defeat for a Brazilian team during the group stage. Botafogo and Fluminense progressed with second-placed finishes, while Flamengo and Palmeiras topped their quartets. Atleti, Chelsea, and FC Porto finished below their Brazilian group rivals. The four Brazilian squads, along with their vibrant fans, have arguably been the most entertaining part of this tournament thus far.
Botafogo's 1-0 upset of Champions League holders PSG was the standout result of the group stage, and it produced the most memorable soundbite. "The cemetery of football is full of favorites," Botafogo coach Renato Paiva said, rather poetically, after the memorable victory.
Group stage: Brazil vs. Europe
- Palmeiras 0-0 Porto
- Fluminense 0-0 Borussia Dortmund
- Paris Saint-Germain 0-1 Botafogo
- Flamengo 3-1 Chelsea
- Atletico Madrid 1-0 Botafogo
The excuse of European sides faltering against supposedly lesser opponents due to their tougher workload doesn't totally ring true.
The squads of Brazilian clubs have navigated more matches than their counterparts in Europe over the past 12 months through their commitments in the league, state competitions, and continent-wide tournaments. Cash-rich European clubs also enjoy greater roster depth over Brazilian teams, allowing more opportunities to rotate squads over the course of a season.
The only advantage that Brazilian teams may have is that they're better acclimated to the temperature and humidity. A heatwave in the United States has thrust the Club World Cup into Carnival conditions. The Brazilian sides often appear comfortable while the European-based players seem to be wading, not running, through the thick, damp air.
It's a shame resilient duo Botafogo and Palmeiras will meet in the round of 16, therefore denying one of those teams another meeting with a European giant. But at least one will be assured of a quarterfinal against Benfica or Chelsea.
Brazil's last Club World Cup win came in 2012 when Corinthians overcame Chelsea in the final. Winning it will be tougher now that the tournament is much bigger and full of wealthy clubs, but it's already been a historic summer for Brazilian club football - and one that's made even sweeter by the failures of Boca Juniors and River Plate, the storied teams from rival nation Argentina.
More misery for Atleti
Atletico Madrid fans have endured a rotten few months.
A 2024-25 season that promised so much rapidly disintegrated. The laws now stipulate an accidental double-touch penalty that goes in can be retaken, but that change in early June was prompted by Julian Alvarez's slip and finish being ruled out during Atleti's shootout with Real Madrid, leading to a Champions League last-16 elimination. That heartbreak coincided with a strong La Liga title push sputtering into a third-placed finish. Los Colchoneros also suffered heartbreak to Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semifinals.
Not only did the Club World Cup offer a chance to ease that pain, it was an opportunity to play and win a tournament that they'll otherwise find it hard to enter again. Atletico Madrid qualified for the Club World Cup based on UEFA's four-year ranking; it's hard to imagine that La Liga champions Barcelona won't be above them the next time the competition rolls around in 2029.
The Club World Cup also presented a chance to edge closer toward the true European elite by earning some of the huge prize money on offer.
Atletico failed in their mission for redemption and growth. Getting thumped by Paris Saint-Germain isn't wholly surprising and Atleti beat the Seattle Sounders, but only scoring once against Botafogo led to the Spaniards' ignominious exit as the Brazilians progressed.
Inter Miami silence doubters
Inter Miami were in a rut going into the Club World Cup.
Lionel Messi's team, a tournament invitee for all intents and purposes, had just three wins in 10 matches heading into the competition. Miami looked painfully slow and defensively frail, conceding 26 goals in those games dating back to late April. There were genuine concerns, not unfounded, that Javier Mascherano's team would get humbled on home soil in Group A.
They admitted as much themselves.
"It's clear that we are not at the level to compete at the Club World Cup, but we will try to compete in our group," midfielder Sergio Busquets said after Miami was eliminated from the CONCACAF Champions Cup in emphatic fashion by the Vancouver Whitecaps in late April.
Those doubts certainly seemed justified in the first half of the tournament opening against Egyptian giants Al Ahly. If not for the heroics of goalkeeper Oscar Ustari, including a penalty save, Mascherano's men would've been in trouble right from the off.
But Inter Miami steadied the ship after that. They were unfortunate not to score at least once themselves in the second half against Al Ahly, and then, powered by a majestic Messi free-kick, beat FC Porto in their second match. They earned a 2-2 draw against Palmeiras in their Group A finale, becoming the lone MLS team in the tournament to reach the knockout rounds.
The once defeatist outlook has been replaced by hope going into the last 16, where Miami will look to pull off an all-time upset against Paris Saint-Germain, the Champions League holders and presumptive best team in the world.
"If there is something this sport has proven (it's) that anything can happen in any match," Mascherano said of the upcoming contest, which will see Messi take on his former club for the first time since leaving in 2023. "And who's to say that Sunday will (not) be our day. Sometimes, things happen."