GOAL US offers a guide to which Club World Cup teams you'll want to tune in for – and who might be best to avoid
There are a lot of games to watch at the Club World Cup – 63, crammed into 29 days, to be exact. The trick will be to figure out exactly which ones you watch. Of course, the latter stages of the tournament will be good fun, with European teams likely facing each other in a mock Champions League of sorts.
But what about in the early days, the group stage play where two clubs you might not have ever heard of square off against each other? There are actually loads of reasons to tune into the so-called smaller teams. Equally, there is good reason to avoid some of the bigger names (looking at you, Juventus).
GOAL US presents the Club World Cup Watchability Guide, with some advice as to who to tune into – and who might be best to avoid.
AFPDrop everything now and watch
PSG: All the evidence you need was on display a couple weeks ago. PSG battered Inter in the Champions League final, and, truthfully, they've been doing that all season. Desire Doue alone is worth a watch, but add Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia into the mix, and you've got the most exciting side in Europe, bar none.
Real Madrid: Will it be a debacle? Will it be slick attacking football? Who knows? Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen played some wonderful stuff, and the new Madrid manager has made all of the right noises about wanting to look good on the pitch. But this is an imbalanced squad with all sorts of defensive concerns. It will be worth tuning in either way to see if Kylian Mbappe decides to run or not.
Inter Miami: Any chance to watch Lionel Messi play football is a gift. There won't be loads of it left. Even at 37, he can still do some pretty incredible things with a ball.
Palmeiras: Want to know who will be tearing up Europe within three years? Watch Palmeiras. For now, they've got Estevao, hastily named "the next Messi." That's a bit of an overreaction, but the teenager, who is now on Chelsea's books, has routinely broken the Internet. Let's see what he can do with the world watching.
AdvertisementGetty Will put on a show
Bayern Munich: Everything about Bayern's squad suggests they really should be flashier. This is a loaded squad with some big names, and Vincent Kompany likes to have the ball. But they're not always fluid. Still, with the pace they have on the wings – and Harry Kane in the middle – they will always put on a bit of a show.
Chelsea: Two words – Cole Palmer. When he's on song, he makes this game look easy, all clever turns and changes of direction. There's something to be said, too, for a team that misses chances for fun.
River Plate: River score a lot and concede even more. If teenage sensation Franco Mastantuono turns it on for his last month at the club, River will be a fine watch.
Mamelodi Sundowns: First clue – they're nicknamed "The Brazilians" for their samba style. Will they have to deal with having a bit less of the ball at times? Sure. But the Sundowns have scored 65 goals in 28 games this season. That's not a bad mark.
Manchester City: While City are a really good team, they're not always a great watch. On talent alone, they're worth tuning in for, but they really should play exciting stuff.
Watch every FIFA Club World Cup game free on DAZNStream nowGetty ImagesBetter than nothing
Inter: Can the remains of a series of talented midfield get the band back together, one last time? Inter, at their fluid best, are undoubtedly wonderful to tune into. That magic might be fading, though.
Dortmund: Bunch of young players, manager who likes to have the ball, what can go wrong? Issue is, Dortmund aren't always very good, which rather dampens things.
Fluminense: Thiago Silva is there, and Renato Gaucho insists that his team at least try to entertain. One problem: the attack hasn't quite found its rhythm yet, and the club hasn't invested loads.
Seattle Sounders: Well, Seattle certainly aren't afraid to concede. But they like scoring, too. Issue is, you don't know which version of the team you're going to get.
Getty ImagesA toss-up with the Netflix show you're rewatching for the third time
Porto: There's no way to spin it – Porto were bad last year. A managerial change halfway through didn't help, and they certainly lost some vibes after veteran defender Pepe departed. Samu Aghehowa, who was a real presence up front, might be the only redeeming factor.
Benfica: Another Portuguese side that didn't quite figure it out, Benfica might have been higher if it wasn't for the departure of Angel Di Maria, who is always a good watch.
Botafogo: They went about their Copa Libertadores-Brzilian Serie A double in dramatic fashion last year, winning South America's premier competition after going down to 10 men within the first minute. That didn't require beautiful football, but it was certainly a captivating watch. Issue is, a lot of that team has departed now.
Monterrey: Sergio Ramos is cool. That's about it.
Al Hilal: Depends on what you're looking for, really. They have some talented European vets, and Simeone Inzaghi is the coach now. The problem? Saudi Pro League football isn't a great watch. TBD…
