Until recently, only clubs from Europe have won the Club World Cup. Teams from South America see more chances in the new format, and fans feel the struggle.
Entry restrictions and excessively high prices are not having the desired effect at the Club World Cup in the United States. At least on the first weekend in Miami, there was no such euphoria as at the national team tournament.
Opening of the FIFA Club World Cup
Tickets are still available for many matches, but there has not yet been a large influx of fans from Europe or South America. This is due to the high cost of accommodation and individual transport, as well as visa requirements.
Travel to the match and unusual solutions
An organiser from Brazil is offering fans tickets to the Borussia Dortmund-Fluminense match for $5,500. On the other hand, the Argentine government has banned about 1,500 fans from entering the United States who were deemed to be aggressive fans.
At the same time, the organisers are relying on a different fan base: Latin Americans with Latin American roots living in the US are considered to be particularly passionate about football. They filled large arenas at last year’s Copa America.
The FIFA Club World Cup and US Immigration Policy
Immigration enforcement at the FIFA Club World Cup also presents a challenge. The current deportation policy of the Donald Trump administration makes Latin American fans living in the United States cautious.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will be part of the security team at the Club World Cup. The agency has already made it clear that ‘all non-U.S. citizens must have documents confirming their legal status’.
The latest non-European victory was won by Corinthians
For South American teams, the FIFA Club World Cup is an opportunity to reverse the trend. A look at the list of winners shows that Europe dominates the world of club football. Over the past twelve years, the winners have been exclusively from the “old world”.
The last time Corinthians from São Paulo lifted the trophy was in 2012. In South America, the tournament is much more important than in Europe, where the Champions League is considered the most prestigious.
FIFA Club World Cup trophy
“Boca” eagerly anticipates the clash with Bayern
Traditional clubs such as Flamengo or Fluminense from Rio de Janeiro, River Plate or Boca Juniors from Buenos Aires see the tournament as an opportunity to prove ’that they can play at the level”, as club legend and Boca president Juan Roman Riquelme says.
For the Argentine club’s fans, the clash with Bayern Munich (20 June, Miami) is also a matter of national honour.
‘We dream of playing all the games, we dream of playing well, we know that our fans will support us loudly, the stadium will be full, and that makes us happy,’ said Riquelme.
Big screen in Rio
Rio de Janeiro is also looking forward to the event. Since most Brazilians cannot afford to travel to the US, Fluminense plans to broadcast the matches in the traditional club complex Casa Laranjeiras.
Two Mexican clubs, Monterrey and Pachuca, are hoping for a home-like atmosphere. The United States is home to about 12 million people of Mexican descent. Despite all the political difficulties, they can provide a home atmosphere for the match.
As a reminder, it was proposed to introduce a new rule in football at the Club World Cup.
