Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
No kings, few fans: USA's year of World Cups gets off to a flat start -- The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/jun/16/club-world-cup-gold-cup-openersLeander Schaerlaeckens
Posting only because I enjoyed the prose in this article. Couldn't care less about the subject matters.
Fifa’s much-hyped Club World Cup and Concacaf’s Gold Cup opened to crowds far short of what organizers might have hoped
That the two events should coincide was so perfect as to almost feel heavy-handed. Donald Trump’s comically underattended military parade lurched through Washington DC at the exact same time on Saturday as the overwrought opening ceremony unspooled for Fifa’s beleaguered Club World Cup, in a definitely-not-full Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
Trump’s jingoistic birthday bust contrasted painfully with the multimillion-strong turnout at the “No Kings” anti-Trump rallies that gathered all over the country. The Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, meanwhile – or “Johnny”, as Trump pronounces the name of one of his favorite allies in the sports world – had promised the opening match of the swollen tournament he forced down the soccer world’s throat would be sold out. Instead, attendance between Inter Miami and Al Ahly, a fitting 0-0 stalemate, was announced at a still-better-than-expected 60,927 in the 64,767-seat venue.
Mind you, that was after ticket prices had reportedly been cut from $349 to just $4.
And so began not only the expanded Club World Cup but the Concacaf Gold Cup as well, kicking off a 13-month period, culminating in the 2026 World Cup final, during which organizers hope the United States will take a star turn as a soccer destination, elevate the sport and enrich all those involved.
For all the buildup, and despite the bought-and-paid-for enthusiasm from the Dazn studio analysts hyping up the Club World Cup, the entire spectacle felt a bit flat, and about as impactful as the omnipresent advertising for Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund on the hoardings surrounding the field at both tournaments.
. . .
Trump’s jingoistic birthday bust contrasted painfully with the multimillion-strong turnout at the “No Kings” anti-Trump rallies that gathered all over the country. The Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, meanwhile – or “Johnny”, as Trump pronounces the name of one of his favorite allies in the sports world – had promised the opening match of the swollen tournament he forced down the soccer world’s throat would be sold out. Instead, attendance between Inter Miami and Al Ahly, a fitting 0-0 stalemate, was announced at a still-better-than-expected 60,927 in the 64,767-seat venue.
Mind you, that was after ticket prices had reportedly been cut from $349 to just $4.
And so began not only the expanded Club World Cup but the Concacaf Gold Cup as well, kicking off a 13-month period, culminating in the 2026 World Cup final, during which organizers hope the United States will take a star turn as a soccer destination, elevate the sport and enrich all those involved.
For all the buildup, and despite the bought-and-paid-for enthusiasm from the Dazn studio analysts hyping up the Club World Cup, the entire spectacle felt a bit flat, and about as impactful as the omnipresent advertising for Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund on the hoardings surrounding the field at both tournaments.
. . .