Club World Cup: Comment on the elimination of Manchester City and Inter Milan

The Club World Cup is a tournament of contrasts, contradictions, and parallel truths. Yes, the stadiums are often half-empty, yet attendance figures are still decent – ​​the problem is that the stadiums are too big. No, many people in Europe aren't interested in the tournament, but it still has relevance – because fans in other parts of the world have declared it a significant competition for themselves.

The results of the round of 16 matches over the past two days are fitting for this complicated situation: Paris Saint-Germain's 4-0 win over Inter Miami and Bayern Munich's 4-2 victory over Flamengo seemed to prove that European clubs are clearly superior to clubs from other continents. Fluminense's sensational 2-0 victory over Inter Milan and Al-Hilal's even more sensational 4-3 win after extra time against Manchester City suggest the exact opposite. So what now?

Furthermore, European clubs are far ahead of their competitors from other parts of the world, both in terms of athletics and finances. If an AI were to play through the Club World Cup, eight of the eight quarterfinalists would likely come from England, Spain, Germany, and France. However, the tournament's unique circumstances increase the chances of clubs from other parts of the world.

Because they're in the middle of the season, because they're better able to cope with the heat in the USA, because they're approaching the Club World Cup like a duel for the survival of humanity. Or because individual players like Fluminense's 44-year-old goalkeeper Fábio or Al-Hilal's double goalscorer Marcos Leandro are rising above themselves.

This doesn't necessarily mean that the best team on the planet will actually be crowned at the end of the competition. However, recent results have averted the scenario of the decisive phase of the tournament being a purely European event—a Champions League relocated to the USA. Three of the six round of 16 winners so far are from outside Europe. Because Palmeiras and Al-Hilal meet in the quarterfinals, at least one non-European team will advance to the semifinals.

The Club World Cup remains a tournament of contrasts, contradictions, and parallel truths. But it is, in any case, a true world championship.