FINAL VENUES OF THE NEXT THREE FIFA WORLD CUP

 

ENZO MARESCA REVEALS CHELSEA TARGETED THREE PSG PLAYERS IN CLUB WORLD CUP WIN

Enzo Maresca masterminded a victory over PSG (Picture: Getty)

Enzo Maresca revealed the tactical masterstroke that inspired Chelsea’s 3-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final.

The Blues were the underdogs heading into Sunday’s final at the MetLife Stadium, but produced a stunning display to shock the Champions League holders.

Cole Palmer showed his class with two well-taken finishes before setting up Joao Pedro, whose deft chip marked his third goal in just two Chelsea games having signed from Brighton midway through the tournament.

PSG have been far and away Europe’s best team this season, and comfortably dispatched of Real Madrid with a 4-0 win to reach the final.

But Luis Enrique’s side were tactically outhought for large swathes of the match, with their frustration on show towards the end of the match and shortly after full-time.

Few teams have been able to such produce a peformance against the French side this season, and Maresca revealed that the key to unpicking PSG on the night was by exploiting the space on in behind their midfield on the left side.

‘There are three midfielders, two of them were in charge of Reece [James] and Moi [Caicedo] this point, and Vitinha was in charge of Enzo [Fernandez],’ the Italian said post-match.

Cole Palmer starred as Chelsea won the Club World Cup (Picture: Getty)

‘Analysing them, we saw that was a good opportunity to exploit that space, and we scored a goal on that side.

‘It was just a game plan, as we said many times, we tried to use different game plans, and we tried to help the players to be in a position where they can give everything.

‘Today, it worked quite well. But overall, I think, as I just said, it has been the effort from all the team, all the players, and I’m very happy, especially for them, because they deserve this moment.’

Luis Enrique cut a frustrated figure on the sidelines (Picture: Getty)

Maresca continued: ‘I repeat, analyzing it, we saw that there was a lot of space on the left side of it, and that’s where we tried to win the game.

‘It went well, but I think we won the game in the first 10 minutes, when the team came out to demonstrate that we were here to try to win, respecting the rival, considering the rival the best team in the world at this time.

‘But I think in the end, you can give the players a plan, but in the end it’s them who have to execute it, and they did it very well.’

- Ben Fleming

DONALD TRUMP APPEARS TO BE SNUBBED BY ONE CHELSEA STAR, WHO MISSED HANDSHAKE WITH THE US PRESIDENT AT CLUB WORLD CUP TROPHY PRESENTATION

The Blues youngster decided against waiting for the US President and instead accepted the congratulations of Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly

Chelsea youngster Tyrique George skipped a handshake from United States President Donald Trump after the Blues' Club World Cup win. 

Trump was put to work by FIFA boss Gianni Infantino after watching Chelsea claim a shock 3-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, handing out medals to the victorious squad before taking centre stage for the trophy lift.

For the most part, his presence during this portion of the ceremony went unnoticed. That was until George, who has enjoyed a breakout year for the Blues, dodged a handshake from Trump. 

Seeing Trump occupied by the task of retrieving another medal, the 19-year-old decided against waiting and instead opted to receive the congratulations of Blues co-owner Todd Boehly. 

The snub, intentional or otherwise, was noted by Trump, who looked in the youngster's direction before returning to his temporary duties. 

Never one to shy away from the spotlight, Trump later inserted himself into the heart of Chelsea's celebrations, deciding to remain among the Blues stars as skipper Reece James lifted the Club World Cup trophy. 

It was anticipated that the Commander-in-Chief would step aside after giving the trophy to James - as is customary. However, to the bewilderment of many Chelsea players, Trump remained on stage for the entire trophy lift.

Trump took centre stage for Chelsea's trophy lift, remaining next to Blues skipper Reece James for the historic moment

England hero Cole Palmer looked especially confused by Trump's actions and appeared to utter the words: 'What's he doing?'

Trump had earlier presented Palmer with the golden ball award with the 23-year-old midfielder looking as equally baffled during that presentation.

He and First Lady Melania arrived roughly 35 minutes before kickoff at the nearby Teterboro Airport on the presidential Marine One helicopter from his local golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.

The 79-year-old was given VIP treatment as he soaked up the action alongside Melania, who cut a chic figure in a white dress and black blazer, and FIFA boss Infantino.

The 79-year-old was given VIP treatment as he soaked up the action alongside Melania, who cut a chic figure in a white dress and black blazer, and FIFA boss Infantino

The outing fell on the first anniversary of the assassination attempt Trump survived in Butler, Pennsylvania, and significant security measures were put in place for his arrival.

As detailed in The Athletic , secret service officials worked with organizers to put together a travel route to the venue, and it was believed he would be behind a pane of bulletproof glass at the game.

The president was put on screen at MetLife during the singing of the national anthem prior to the game, and reports emerged from the stadium that he was booed before the stadium camera cut away from him.

MetLife Stadium later echoed with more boos when Trump, joined by Infantino, made his way out onto the field to present the champions with the trophy.

Trump's involvement in the trophy presentation after the game further complicated the required security around the American Commander-in-Chief.

'When you do the threat and risk assessment, you cover anything that could go wrong: if they were at a mass gathering, what if the stage collapsed?' Nigel Thomas, a former British Special Air Service (SAS) soldier and founder of security training firm, Blue Mountain Group, told The Athletic.

'We will have a standard operating procedure for that, for example. You need to be prepared for it, and that takes communication with stadium security and emergency services.'

- TUM BALOGUN

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AWARDS CHELSEA AND PSG PLAYERS AT CLUB WORLD CUP FINAL

FINAL SHOWDOWN| CHELSEA VS. PSG | FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP FINAL

 

US PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP TO ATTEND FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP FINAL

Donald Trump will on Sunday appear in the FIFA Club World Cup final, showcasing his unexpected attachment to a sport in which “America First” remains a dream, for now.

The US president is attending the final of the newly expanded FIFA Club World Cup in his latest use of the beautiful game as a soft power political weapon.

His appearance at the MetLife stadium in New Jersey, where Paris Saint-Germain face Chelsea, is very much a trial run for the World Cup final, which will take place in the same stadium next year.

Trump has made it clear that he views both tournaments, as well as the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, as showcases for what he calls the “Golden Age of America” during his second term.

The billionaire Republican’s close friendship with FIFA president Gianni Infantino, a frequent visitor to the White House, is also a factor in his appearance.

Trump has kept the Club World Cup trophy next to his desk in the Oval Office since Infantino dropped by in March.

But Trump’s embrace of football, or soccer as he would say, is also personal.

The president’s 19-year-old son, Barron, is a fan, as Infantino pointed out in a press conference at FIFA’s new office in Trump Tower in New York on Saturday.

Asked if Trump liked the game, Infantino replied: “Well, I think he does. In his first term as president of the United States, there was a soccer goal in the garden of the White House.

“He then explained to me that his son loved football and that he loved the game. And of course, when you are a parent, you love what your children love, so I think that he loves it.”

"As a student at the New York Military Academy, Trump himself also reportedly played the game for a season.

Trump’s apparent fondness for football may seem unusual for a country where, despite growing popularity, the sport still lags behind American football, basketball, and baseball.

The former reality TV star has, however, always had an eye for popularity, power, and influence. And football, in its own way, brings all three.

Trump pointed out when Infantino visited the White House in March that the United States won the right to host the 2026 World Cup in 2018, during his first term as president.

He said he was “so sad” because he assumed he would not be president when the tournament came around — but his 2020 election loss meant that he would after all.

The FIFA Club World Cup has meanwhile proved more successful than its critics predicted, with around 2.5 million people attending games across the country and some gripping games.

Infantino, who is no stranger to dealing with hard-nosed leaders around the world, thanked Trump for his support on Saturday.

He said Trump “embraced immediately the importance of the FIFA Club World Cup, and of course, the World Cup next year.”

Infantino also joked that Trump “certainly loves as well the trophy” — whose gold-plated curves match the gilded makeover that the president has given the Oval Office.

But in typical form, Trump has also mixed political controversy with his football fandom.

Hosting Italian side Juventus in the Oval Office in June, he delivered a diatribe on transgender people in sports before asking the players: “Could a woman make your team, fellas?”

Most of the players looked bemused before Juventus general manager Damien Comolli replied: “We have a very good women’s team.”

“He’s being very diplomatic,” said Trump.

Trump’s hardline immigration crackdown — part of his “America First” policy — has meanwhile sparked fears that football fans will be discouraged from coming to the United States.

In May, Vice President JD Vance said that 2026 World Cup fans were “welcome to come… but when the time is up, they will have to go home.”

 - AFP

PSG INFLICT HUMILIATING DEFEAT ON REAL MADRID TO REAC CLUB WORLD CUP FINAL

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Fabian Ruiz (bottom) celebrates with defender Achraf Hakimi after Ruiz scored PSG's third goal of its Club World Cup semifinal win over Real Madrid on Wednesday in East Rutherford, New Jersey. | AFP-JIJI

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – Fabian Ruiz scored twice as European champion Paris Saint-Germain turned on the style in its reunion with Kylian Mbappe on Wednesday, thrashing Real Madrid 4-0 in the semifinals of the Club World Cup to set up a showdown with Chelsea.

Ruiz and Ousmane Dembele scored inside nine minutes to stun Real and silence the majority of the 77,542 crowd who were wearing white at MetLife Stadium outside New York.

The Spanish midfielder added another before halftime and Goncalo Ramos got a late fourth as Luis Enrique's side moved one game away from glory at FIFA's new mega-tournament.

Victory against Chelsea on Sunday would complete a campaign of unparalleled success for the Parisians, who won the French title and then the first UEFA Champions League in their history in May.

"We are in a special season, a special moment, and we deserved to win," Luis Enrique told broadcaster DAZN before looking ahead to the final.

"We are going to try, one more step against a good team like Chelsea. They did great, they performed the whole competition and now it is time for us to prepare for that ... we want to make history in our club, and then take some holidays."

After blowing away Inter Milan 5-0, the biggest victory in Champions League final history, PSG began their Club World Cup bid by putting four past Atletico Madrid and the ease with which they disposed of Real was striking.

PSG's fluidity contrasted starkly with Real Madrid, which is a work in progress under new coach Xabi Alonso.

"We were not good enough today," said Alonso. "We are not the first ones to lose to them but we have a lot of different things to improve."

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe during his team's semifinal defeat at the hands of his former club, Paris Saint-Germain. | AFP-JIJI

Mbappe struggled to make any impact in his first start at the tournament and in his first game against PSG since leaving the French club last year.

The defeat is a real blow to Real as it hoped to win the first 32-team Club World Cup to add to its record tally of 15 European titles.

PSG was without imposing center-back Willian Pacho due to suspension following his sending-off against Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals, but that did not matter.

Lucas Beraldo slotted into the defense with ease, and the rest of PSG's first-choice lineup was there.

Real was missing central defender Dean Huijsen through suspension, while the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold was an added blow.

The return to the starting lineup of Mbappe, who missed the entire group stage due to illness, did not prevent young striker Gonzalo Garcia from keeping his place.

But the Spanish club's front line, completed by Vinicius Junior, made no real impact, such was the extent of PSG's domination.

Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made two superb saves inside the opening five minutes, the first to tip away a Ruiz shot, and the second to deny Nuno Mendes from point-blank range.

Yet Courtois could not prevent Paris from scoring in the sixth minute, as Dembele pounced on slack defending by Raul Asencio. The Real goalkeeper saved at the forward's feet but Ruiz converted the loose ball.

Paris Saint-Germain forward Goncalo Ramos (top, center) scores his team's fourth goal on Wednesday. | AFP-JIJI

Three minutes later and the contest was effectively over when Antonio Rudiger failed to control a simple pass from Jude Bellingham, allowing Dembele to run through before finishing low into the corner.

Like his friend Mbappe, Dembele was starting for the first time at the competition after dealing with an injury. That was a 35th club goal since August for a player who is a serious candidate for the Ballon d'Or.

It was turning into a humiliating afternoon for Real as PSG got its third midway through the first half.

A deflected shot by Mbappe was easily held by Gianluigi Donnarumma, and no Madrid player touched the ball again before they were picking it out of their net a minute later.

Dembele released Achraf Hakimi on the right and he squared for Ruiz, with the Spain star taking a touch to hold off Fede Valverde before finishing.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia could have got a fourth before the interval, while Desire Doue had a goal disallowed early in the second half.

But Real was not coming back, and Alonso opted to take off Bellingham and Vinicius just after the hour mark in a clear sign of surrender.

PSG then got its fourth after 87 minutes when Ramos controlled a pass from fellow substitute Bradley Barcola, turned and fired in.

- ANDY SCOTT

ON TO THE NEXT ONE | REAL MADRID VS. BORUSSIA DORTMUND | FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP 2025

 

ARGENTINA PLAYER RATINGS: 8/10 MESSI LEADS WIN VS. CANADA

Lionel Messi helped Argentina to a 2-0 victory over Canada in the opening match of the 2024 Copa América. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images)

 Argentina triumphed 2-0 over Canada in the inaugural match of the 2024 Copa América at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia as goals from Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez propelled the reigning champions to first on the Group A standings.

La Albiceleste kicked off strong, testing Canadian goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau early on to make the North Americans uncomfortable. Canada coach Jesse Marsch's side didn't back down, however, managing several shots to keep Argentina uncomfortable until the halftime whistle.

After the second whistle, Argentina found the energy that led them to the 2021 Copa América and 2022 World Cup title. A key pass by Lionel Messi to Alexis Mac Allister in the 49th minute inspired the build-up to the first goal, allowing the Liverpool figure to connect with Álvarez to gain the lead.

Canada attempted to bounce back, but substitute Martínez entered the game with the necessary vigor to find the back of the net first and double the score.

Lionel Scaloni's Argentina will now prepare to face Chile on Tuesday night at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey for the second group stage match of the tournament.

Manager rating (scale of 1-10)

Lionel Scaloni, 8 -- The manager put out a strong starting 11, but his intelligence showed when making much-needed substitutions in the second half. Though Álvarez could've stayed on the pitch, subbing in Martínez proved to be a key factor in the victory. A good coach not only knows his strongest players, but also pays attention to the assets on the bench.

Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best)

GK Emiliano Martínez, 7 -- After a somewhat comfortable first half, the Aston Villa goalkeeper became crucial in the second 45 to maintain the clean sheet.

DF Nahuel Molina, 6 -- Struggled on the right against Alphonso Davies, coming up short against the Bayern Munich player.

DF Cristian Romero, 7 -- Paired well with Martinez to create, keeping the much-needed clean sheet.

DF Lisandro Martínez, 7 -- Two clearances and provided the backline with the strength necessary against a tricky Canada.

DF Marcos Acuña, 6 -- Defensively solid, but lacked strength when going forward on the attack.

MF Alexis Mac Allister 8 -- Incredibly creative on the attack, consistently threatening Canadian players before finally breaking through on that first goal. Excellent connection with Messi to inspire the goal.

MF Leandro Paredes 7 -- A sound defensive performance with two necessary interceptions and two blocked attempts. A necessary figure in the midfield.

MF Rodrigo De Paul 7 -- Defensively and structurally sound, saw a couple of bright moments on the attack but his long passes need fine-tuning.

MF Ángel Di María 7 -- Led a couple of key breakaways but lacked the precision on the front foot. On another night, he would've put away those opportunities in the first half.

FW Lionel Messi 8 -- His unique vision of the game inspired the key pass to Mac Allister in the build-up of the first goal. Otherwise tested Crépeau, but unlucky not to find the back of the net on the 1v1. situations.

FW Julián Álvarez 8 -- Despite a muted first half, he redeemed himself with the opening goal of the game.

Substitutes (players introduced after 80 minutes = no rating)

MF Giovani Lo Celso 7 (Di Maria, 68') -- A bit muted on the ball, difficult to judge his impact when Martínez outshined the substitutes.

FW Lautaro Martínez 9 (Álvarez, 76') -- It didn't take the player long to come into the game, spice things up and score his goal.

MF Nicolás Otamendi 7 (Paredes, 77') -- A decent performance in a short period of time, but again outshined by Martinez.

- Lizzy Becherano

NEW JERSEY AWARDED 2026 WORLD CUP FINAL, MEXICO GETS OPENER

MetLife Stadium. Reuters 

 The 2026 World Cup final will be held in New Jersey at the home of the National Football League's New York Giants and New York Jets, world soccer's governing body FIFA announced on Sunday, along with the entire schedule for the global soccer showcase.

The 48-team World Cup, which will conclude on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Canada will host 13 games in total, including 10 in the group stage split evenly between Toronto and Vancouver. Mexico will also get 13 games, including 10 during the group stage in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey. The rest of tournament will be held in 11 cities across the United States.

Toronto, Mexico City, and Los Angeles will host the opening matches of their respective national teams.

The open-air stadium for the final, which opened in 2010 and has a capacity of 82,500, hosted the Copa America Centenario final in 2016 when Chile denied Lionel Messi's Argentina for a second time in a penalty shootout.

FIFA did not announce kickoff times for the games.

TAYLOR SWIFT, SOPHIE TURNER, RYAN REYNOLDS ATTEND CHIEFS-JETS

Getty

Superstar Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce's most famous fan, is at MetLife stadium for the Kansas City Chiefs' prime-time matchup against the New York Jets.

Swift made an appearance for the second consecutive game after weeks of a rumored romance between the two.

Last week, the 12-time Grammy Award-winning musician was spotted at Arrowhead Stadium next to Kelce's mother, Donna, before riding off into the sunset with Kelce after the Chiefs' 41-10 win over the Chicago Bears.