The Club World Cup group stage supplied an exciting sense of novelty, and further unpredictability permeated into the knockouts as two of the favorites exited the competition to unfancied opponents.
European superiority has come to pass in swathes, but it hasn’t been ubiquitous in the United States this summer. Halfway through the round of 16, it appeared as if seven of the eight quarterfinalists would hail from one continent, but Al Hilal and Fluminense’s upsets of Manchester City and Inter, respectively, has resulted in a more diverse pool of remaining participants.
The greater spread is undoubtedly good for the competition, and there was a distinct sense of relief in Gianni Infantino’s Instagram post following Monday’s action. “The NEW ERA OF CLUB FOOTBALL has definitely started,” the FIFA president claimed.
Only time will tell.
Here are Club World Cup power rankings based on each remaining team’s performance at the tournament so far.
