FIFA CWC: Sleeping European giants and the firing South American contingent

Inter, Madrid & Chelsea struggle at Club World Cup as South American teams shine; pressure mounts on European giants amid surprise-packed tournament.

Chelsea's embarrassing loss to Flamengo is an eye opener to European giants at the Club World Cup, they must wake up before it's too late. (Photo credit: GOAL)

The current Inter Milan team reeks of the pathetic fate that befell the triumphant 2010 set shortly after winning the treble. This isn’t the Inter Milan we know. What is happening to them?

Led by Christian Chivu and their enigmatic captain Lautaro Martinez, Inter Milan rallied and left it late to beat Japanese side Ulsan on Saturday, but they’re now in danger as they must pick up up a point at least against River Plate to confirm qualification to the next round of the FIFA Club World Cup.

Let’s face it, the tournament has sprung surprises,, and it’s why we love the game, but much was expected of Inter Milan after their horrific showing at the tail end of the season,, where they lost out of the three competitions they were primed to win.

They’re not the only ones with question marks around them. Real Madrid will take on Pachuca on Sunday,, and it’s a game they must win after settling for a 1-1 draw in their competition opener against the Saudiaudi side on Wednesday.

Football is a game of chance. Federico Valverde missed from the spot late on,, and the chance was gone. It was thrilling for the Arabian club to earn a point against the European giants, but what does that say about Xabi Alonso’s era at Real Madrid?

There’s a lot to unpack from the shambolic performance by Real Madrid with Kylian Mbappe unavailable; Vinicius Jr didn’t exert himself in the game, and the debut of Trent Alexander-Arnold left too much to be desired. Early days, but the storm won’t be friendly in that regard.

Europa Conference League winners Chelsea lost to Flamengo on Friday, a result that now means they must win their final group game against Esperance to advance to the next round, but their performance against the Brazilians was embarrassing.

From team selection by Enzo Maresca, which saw them pitch Reece James in midfield, to the anonymity of Cole Palmer, poor organisation and weak intensity, Chelsea cannot afford to fall off from the group stage; they must step up in their final group game.

It’s important to laud the South American contingent. From the Brazilians to the Argentines, they have been so impressive that bookmakers might want to revisit their earlier calls. While we’ve had weather challenges in the USA, the games have thrilled us beyond measure.