FIFA Club World Cup is in its final week, and there are only three matches left: the semi-finals and the grand final. We started with 32 teams from all six continents (North and Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania), and now we only have four left, with Fluminense, 2023 Libertadores Champion, being the only non-European in the final four.
The club from Rio de Janeiro, perhaps an odd choice given they are not exactly Brazilian elite (they've won the Brasileirão, the country's top league competition, only four times, the last time in 2012) managed to defeat Champions League runner-up Inter Milan in round of 16, and Manchester City's executioners Al Hilal in quarter-finals. They will next face Chelsea, winner of the Champions League in 2021, most recently winners of the UEFA Conference League.
The other semi-final will pit the two most recent Champions League winners, Paris Saint-Germain vs. Real Madrid, a huge match with no clear favourites: despite PSG's recent treble, including a 5-0 win over Inter in the Champions League final, Real Madrid reaches Club World Cup semi-finals in a better state than one month ago, with a team reinvigorated with Xabi Alonso's vision and the help of new signings like Dean Huijsen (who will miss the match due to sanction), Trent Alexander-Arnold and, while not exactly new, Gonzalo García, homegrown striker who has scored or assisted in every match this competition.
Club World Cup semi-finals and final:
Tuesday, July 8, 20:00 BST, 21:00 CEST: Fluminense vs. Chelsea (MetLife Stadium, New York)
Wednesday, July 9, 20:00 BST, 21:00 CEST: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Real Madrid (MetLife Stadium, New York)
Final on Sunday, July 13, 20:00 BST, 21:00 CEST (MetLife Stadium, New York)