Some Intriguing Quarterfinal Matchups In The FIFA Club World Cup


It’s not always easy to predict winners of soccer games at major international tournaments, but the FIFA Club World Cup could be headed toward a Europe vs. Brazil final.

One bracket has two Brazilian sides competing in the July 4 quarterfinals – Fluminense and Palmeiras, against Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia) and Chelsea (England)

The other side has four European teams competing in the July 5 match-ups – Paris Saint-Germain (France) vs. Bayern Munich (Germany), and Real Madrid (Spain) vs. Borussia Dortmund (Germany).

The winners will advance to the semifinals at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. on July 8 and 9, with the champion being crowned at the same venue on Sunday, July 13.

Of course, there can be other variations of a theme as the 32-team tournament enters its final 10 days.

In many international soccer competitions, some of the best games are in the quarterfinals. So, we might be in for a treat or two over the next few days.

Here is a quick look at the four quarterfinals:

July 4

Fluminense vs. Al-Hilal, 3 p.m. ET

Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Fla.)

This contest matches a pair of underdogs who were not given much of a chance of advancing far in the competition by Opta. Al-Hilal was given a 17.9 percent chance of reaching the quarters and 0.4 percent chance of winning it. Fluminense was at 15.8 percent of qualifying for the final eight teams and 0.1 percent of emerging as the winner.

Backed by an enthusiastic fan base, Fluminense (1-0=2, 5 points) finished second in Group F behind Borussia Dortmund (2-0-1, 7). The Brazil team started with a scoreless draw against the German side and followed that up with a 4-2 win over Ulsan HD (South Korea) and another 0-0 deadlock with Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa). In its 2-0 Round of 16 victory over Inter Milan (Italy), Fluminense scored early (37-year-old Argentine German Cano in the third minute) and late (24-year-old Brazilian Hercules) in the third minute of second-half stoppage time) in Charlotte, N.C. on June 30. Inter Milan lost to PSG in the UEFA Champions League final, 5-0, in May.

Two keys to the Brazilian side’s success have a pair of fortysomething players – center back and team captain Thiago Silva, who will turn 41 in September, and veteran goalkeeper Fabio, who will be 45 that month. Fabio recorded four saves against Inter, for his fourth clean sheet of the tournament.

“The Europeans sign the best players in the world, but with attitude and dedication to the team, we managed to defend,” Fluminense head coach Renato Gaucho told reporters.

“We are very proud of ourselves for the affection and joy we are bringing to our fans and, without a doubt, to Brazilian football. We are proving that we have commitment and attitude on the pitch. Off the pitch, we can’t compete financially, but on the pitch it’s 11 against 11. That’s it.”

Al-Hilal has weathered the hot and humid conditions quite well. The Saudi Arabian team, which is bolstered by several big European stars, is unbeaten in four matches (2-0-2), having played Real Madrid to a 1-1 draw, Red Bull Salzburg to a scoreless tie and stunning Pachuca. 2-0, in Group H action. The squad finished second to Real Madrid.

The Saudis are coming off the upset of the tournament, a thrilling 4-3 triumph over English powerhouse Manchester City on June 30. It was considered one of the biggest wins in Middle Eastern soccer history. Marcos Leonardo, who struck for a brace, including the game-winner in the 112th minute, will face his countrymen. The 22-year-old forward, who is once played for Santos in Brazil, is tied for second place with a dozen other players in goals (three). Angel Di Maria, whose Benfica team, was eliminated in a 4-1 loss to Chelsea in the Round of 16, topping the charts with four goals.

It was an emotional moment for Leonardo.

“I’ve had a difficult time in the last two months. My mother spent 70 days in the ICU,” he said. “Today, she’s fine, thank God. When I scored those two goals, I thought of her. She was able to watch the match.”

Palmeiras vs. Chelsea, 9 p.m. ET

Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, Pa.)

In the lone South American-European match-up of this round, the teams will tussle in the only quarterfinal encounter under the lights.

Palmeiras, one of the South American country’s most storied clubs, has won Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 12 times (most recently in 2023) and Copa Libertadores on three occasions (most recently 2021). In this competition, Verdão (Big Green) started with two shutouts, a scoreless tie with Porto and a 2-0 win over Al Ahly before playing to a 2-2 deadlock with Inter Miami CF in the final Group A encounter.

In a battle of Brazilian sides in the Round of 16, Paulinho’s 100th-minute goal, his second of the competition, lifted the squad to a 1-0 win over Botafogo in Philadelphia on June 28, its third clean sheet in four matches.

“Coach has been saying this since the start of the season, that we have a dream and dreaming costs nothing,” Palmeiras defender Bruno Fuchs told the Associated Press. “We follow that dream, one game after another. Always thinking about the present, about the next game. … We’re very happy, we’re pleased to have qualified, and as I said, we have to keep dreaming.”

Chelsea’s trophy case is pretty full with a host of domestic and international hardware. That includes six Premier League/First Division titles, eight FA Cup titles and the 2021 Club World Cup championship.

The Blues (2-1-0, 6) finished second to Flamengo (2-0-1, 7) in Group D, losing to the Brazilian side in its second match, 3-1, after blanking Los Angeles FC. 2-0. Yet, they shrugged off that defeat with two consecutive wins. They shut out Esperance de Tunis, 3-0, and then 10-man Benfica in the Round of 16, in extra time, 4-1, in a match that was delayed for two hours due to lightning in Charlotte, N.C. on July 28. Chelsea produced some lightning of its own in extra time as French international forward Christopher Nkunku (108th minute) scored the game-winner off a rebound. Portuguese international winger Pedro Neto added his team-best third of the competition (114th) and English midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall his first (117th) for some late insurance.

Prior to the tournament, Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca told his squad: “We are not here for pre-season. It’s a big, big tournament.”

So far, the team has taken those words to heart.

July 5

Paris Saint-Germain vs. Bayern Munich, noon ET

Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, Ga.)

On paper, this is the marquee quarterfinal match, as the UEFA Champions League winners and French Ligue 1 champions take on the Bundesliga champs at the indoor venue.

The key to PSG’s success is that it doesn’t necessarily have one superstar, but it boasts stars at just about each position and even off the bench. Seven players have celebrated goal, with Portuguese international midfielder Joao Neves and Moroccan international defender Achraf Hakimi leading the way with two apiece.

When playing at its optimum, the French side is difficult to beat and forces its opposition to chase the game, as Inter Milan learned the hard way in the UCL final, a 5-0 triumph, in May. PSG continued that excellence in its 4-0 thrashing of Atletico Madrid. It hit a speed bump in a 1-0 loss to Botafogo but rebounded to finish atop Group B behind a 2-0 win over the Seattle Sounders. In the Round of 16 in Atlanta on June 29, PSG booked a quarterfinal berth behind a 4-0 thumping of Inter Miami CF, scoring three times in the waning minutes of the first half, as Neves bagged a brace.

“We [had] a very good game. Even when we were winning four-nil, we didn’t stop,” Neves said. “We keep on playing our game and I think it was a positive day for us. It’s the first time I scored two in one game, so I’m very happy but I’m happier for the win.”

Added head coach Luis Enrique: “I’m happy with all the players, with the mentality and the attitude. I think we need to improve, like always. … But, I’m happy.”

Bayern Munich, which has won 34 German First Division titles, brings some impressive firepower as well, as it has not one, not two, but three players who have written their names on the scoresheet three times. The formidable threesome is England national team striker Harry Kane, German international midfielder Jamal Musiala and French national team midfielder Michael Olise.

The Bundesliga champions (2-1-0, 6) started out with a 10-0 victory over Auckland City, a team comprised of semi-pro players from New Zealand, before coming back down to earth in Group C. They then edged Boca Juniors, 2-1, before dropping a 1-0 decision to Benfica in their group finale. Die Bayern then went out and recorded a 4-2 triumph over Flamengo in the Round of 16 as Kane bagged a brace, scoring on either side of halftime at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on June 29.

“I know a lot of my game is judged on goals and I’ve been doing it throughout my career, but what maybe some of the German fans and some of the Bayern fans are realizing is that I’ll do anything for the team to help us win,” Kane said.

Real Madrid vs. Borussia Dortmund, 4 p.m. ET

MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, N.J.)

Real Madrid is one of the kings of domestic and global soccer, having won 36 La Liga titles (most recently in 2023-24) and five Club World Cups (most recently in 2022), among countless other championships. Los Blancos are a team to be reckoned with, and then some.

The Spanish powerhouse finished atop Group H with a 2-0-1 mark. It began with a 1-1 draw against Al-Hilal before registering three consecutive wins. Real then defeated Pachuca, 3-1, and then Red Bull Salzburg, 3-0. In the Round of 16 in Miami Gardens on July 1, Real edged Juventus, on Gonzalo Garcia’s 54th-minute goal, his third of the competition.

Real enters the quarterfinals with a relatively fresh Kylian Mbappé, who missed every group match after he was hospitalized with an acute case of gastroenteritis. He made his tournament debut, replacing Garcia in the 68th minute against Juve. Mbappé, 26, a member of France’s 2018 World Cup championship side, can be handful and a half to cover and stop when he is at the top of his game. He is a player to watch.

“I think that every single day he is getting better,” Real head coach Xabi Alonso said. “I think from now until the quarterfinals he’s going to be even better. I talk to him every single day and ask him how he is feeling, and I think he is going to be way better for the quarterfinals.”

Borussia Dortmund might not enjoy the same storied history as its Bundesliga rivals, Bayern Munich, but still can be a difficult side to overcome.

Die Borussen (The Prussians) started off slowly, playing Fluminense to a 0-0 deadlock in Group F. Dortmund put together three one-goal victories, edging Mamelodi Sundowns, 5-4, and Ulsan HD, 1-0, and Monterrey, 2-1, in the Round of 16 in Atlanta on July 1. Guinea international striker Serhou Guirassy scored both goals in the latter win. The team has seen success without star center back Nico Schlotterbeck, who suffered a meniscus tear in April.

Dortmund will be remembered as the team that kept its reserves in an air-conditioned locker room for its game vs. Mamelodi Sundown in Cincinnati on June 21.

Also, U.S. international Gio Reyna, who could have helped his country in the Concacaf Gold Cup, was on the Dortmund roster, but has watched from the bench for most of the competition.

“Of course, against Real Madrid we’ll need to raise the level even more. With their individual quality, they have an advantage,” goalkeeper Gregor Kobel said on DAZN after the win over Monterrey. “We’ll need to compensate for that in other areas and have a really good day.”



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