The Club World Cup is flawed, but has shined a light on soccer outside Europe

There was a time when some of the best soccer players in the world played in South America. Pele never played in Europe, instead spending the bulk of his career at Santos in his native Brazil. Diego Maradona similarly spent a lot of his career in his homeland of Argentina, most famously playing for Boca Juniors.

Now, it is difficult to envisage such a scenario due to the wealth in European soccer. Whenever a talented youngster emerges in Argentina or Brazil, they are invariably snapped up by a European giant with more money before they reach maturity – see Lionel Messi, Neymar, Vinicius Junior, Julian Alvarez and many others.

This is partly why the 2025 Club World Cup has been so refreshing. There are many reasons to criticise the expanded tournament which has clogged the global fixture schedule and has the potential warp soccer around the world thanks to the $1 billion prize money on offer. However, the Club World Cup is shining a light on the sport beyond Europe.

Flamengo have perhaps been the most impressive non-UEFA team in the tournament so far. Filipe Luis’ team put down a marker by comprehensively beating Chelsea 3-1 in a manner that suggested they could be dark horses to go all the way at the Club World Cup. A draw to LAFC may have halted the brakes on their favorite status, but the unexpected result brings perhaps even more drama and intrigue to the tournament.

Botafogo have also earned their place in the competition’s knockout rounds, beating European champions Paris Saint-Germain on their way to eliminating Atletico Madrid from Group B. Botafogo are continental champions in their own right, but are currently slumped in eighth place in the Brasileiro table. Nonetheless, they still had enough to topple PSG.

Palmeiras did enough against Inter Miami on Monday to secure their passage through to the last 16 where they will face Botafogo for a place in the quarter-finals. That match has the potential to be one of the most memorable single occasions in Brazilian club soccer history. It could be one of the games of the tournament.

Fluminense proved their elite level ability by holding Borussia Dortmund to a 0-0 draw in the group stage while Argentina’s Boca Juniors and River Plate have been involved in some of the most enthralling matches in the group stage – the 2-2 draw between Boca and Benfica was the moment the 2025 Club World Cup came to life.

“I love, I love, you know, when you’re in this tournament and you play South American teams, you play with Europe, another continent, how they challenge, how they compete, how you see,” said Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola when asked about the impact teams from Argentina and Brazil have made on the Club World Cup this summer.

“I love when I see Botafogo, all the Brazilian teams, Argentinian teams, how they celebrate, how they are together. I like them, I love them, I like them. I’m pretty sure for the South American teams, for the Brazilian teams, for Argentina teams, this competition is maybe the maximum. I admire how they defend, Boca Juniors, how every single goal is like, wow, the end of the world. You know, it’s different styles, different ways. It’s really, really good.”

European soccer has become so homogenised it is eye-opening to see some of the different approach adopted by South American teams. Flamengo play a possession-heavy game while Boca want to play against the ball and force opponents to break them down. Palmeiras are somewhere in between, focusing on quick transition moments.

It’s still likely that when the knockout rounds shake out a European team will end up getting their hands on the trophy, but Argentinean and Brazilian clubs have been given an opportunity to make a point to the soccer world. They might not be the richest, but they can still hold their own against the very best.