South American teams lay down the gauntlet to Europe at Club World Cup

PHILADELPHIA: It took until Friday night for South America’s unbeaten run at the Club World Cup to come to an end as Boca Juniors succumbed to a late defeat against Bayern Munich in Miami.

The Argentine giants’ phenomenal support at the Hard Rock Stadium could not quite get them over the line, as Michael Olise’s late goal inflicted a first loss in 10 games on a side from CONMEBOL.

But the evidence so far in the United States suggests that if anyone is going to stop a European side winning FIFA’s new 32-team competition, it will be a club from South America. Copa Libertadores winners Botafogo edged out European champions Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in Pasadena while Flamengo, Brazil’s biggest club, came from behind to stun Chelsea.

Palmeiras, Boca and Fluminense have all held European opposition too, and South American clubs are set to feature heavily in the knockout stages. One factor helping teams from Brazil and Argentina make such an impact is the remarkable backing from their supporters, who have turned out in impressive numbers across the United States.

“Amazing, amazing,” said Bayern coach Vincent Kompany when asked about the atmosphere for his team’s game against Boca, as it seemed that La Bombonera had been transported to Miami.

“Anyone here who has knowledge of this game knows how tough it is to play against these teams and nearly every game for a European team is like an away game.” The support for Flamengo against Chelsea in Philadelphia was impressive too, with a large percentage of the crowd of over 54,000 clad in the black and red of the Rio de Janeiro side.

In comparison, few supporters have travelled from Europe, even if large numbers of American soccer fans have turned out wearing the colours of the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City. The last 11 editions of the old, seven-team Club World Cup were won by European sides. CONMEBOL last produced a winner in 2012, when Corinthians of Sao Paulo defeated Chelsea.

There is a huge financial gulf -- the top 29 teams in analysts Deloitte’s Football Money League for 2025 come from Europe. Real Madrid topped the list with revenues last year exceeding one billion euros ($1.15 billion), while Flamengo sneaked in at 30th with 198 million euros.