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Five Themes at Club World Cup
The Straits Times
|June 15, 2025
Big questions could shape the mega 32-team event amid worries over demanding calendar
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ATLANTA – Despite concerns over ticket sales and player fatigue, FIFA's new expanded Club World Cup will throw up several intriguing storylines when it kicks off on June 14 (June 15, Singapore time).
Here are five things to look out for on the pitch as teams compete to claim their share of US$1 billion (S$1.3 billion) in prize money.
Former Barcelona great Lionel Messi has spent the last two seasons at MLS side Inter Miami, but the Club World Cup pits him against European opposition once again.
The 37-year-old still possesses supreme quality, but there are question marks over whether he and former top stars Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets can seriously compete against the cream of the crop.
If he nets at the tournament, Messi will become the oldest-ever Club World Cup scorer, while both he and Suarez trail the competition's all-time top scorer, Cristiano Ronaldo, by two goals.
A New Stage for Doue
This story is from the June 15, 2025 edition of The Straits Times.
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