Extreme heat, poor pitches & plenty of goals - Club World Cup reaches halfway

Fifa's expanded Club World Cup successful nan United States has reached nan extremity of its group phase, pinch 2 weeks of knockout matches to come.

Having risen from 7 teams to 32, nan title has received disapproval complete subordinate use concerns pinch matches played successful utmost temperatures, often pinch mediocre attendances.

Critics opportunity nan Club World Cup is purely location to boost Fifa's finances, while football's governing assemblage argues nan arena is needed to build up to adjacent summer's five-week World Cup, which will characteristic 48 nations and beryllium held successful 16 cities crossed Canada, nan US and Mexico.

This has been a title of monolithic contrasts. From hugely one-sided thrashings, specified arsenic Bayern Munich mounting a caller tourney grounds erstwhile they crushed New Zealand part-timers Auckland City 10-0, to thrilling matches, including 4-4 and 4-3 scorelines.

We person taken a look astatine 5 talking points truthful far.

Ever since nan tourney description was announced, location person been awesome concerns complete nan workload of nan players, particularly pinch nan World Cup coming up successful 12 months.

Since nan main European seasons began successful August, Real Madrid person now played 65 times, Inter Milan 62, Paris St-Germain 61 and some Chelsea and Manchester City 60 apiece, pinch 4 much games to travel if they scope nan final.

What has made it worse is nan temperatures nan matches are being held in. Temperatures reached 36C during nan crippled betwixt Bayern Munich and Benfica successful Charlotte, North Carolina, while Chelsea head Enzo Maresca said it was "impossible" to organise normal training sessions amid a "code red" terrible power informing successful Philadelphia.

Cooling breaks person been utilized pinch players dashing to get immoderate shade, often while wearing an ice-cold towel aliases throwing bottles of h2o complete their heads successful an effort to cool down.

The threat of thunderstorms has caused lengthy delays to 5 matches because play successful American stadiums has to beryllium halted erstwhile lightning is recorded wrong a 10-mile radius.

With 3 venues successful Mexico, arsenic good arsenic cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta and Miami hosting matches successful nan 2026 World Cup, upwind delays could good beryllium a characteristic of that tourney arsenic well.

There person been crowds of much than 40,000 astatine 18 of nan 48 group games pinch galore superb atmospheres.

The highest attendance truthful acold has been nan 80,619 that watched European champions Paris St-Germain thrash Atletico Madrid 4-0 astatine nan Rose Bowl successful Pasadena.

Top 10 attendances of nan Club World Cup

However, galore games person not sold arsenic well, pinch astir 50,000 seats near unfilled for Chelsea's opener against Los Angeles FC successful Atlanta.

Eight of nan 10 lowest attendances person travel from matches played betwixt Monday and Friday and six of those 10 started betwixt midday and 3pm section clip pinch Fifa struggling to equilibrium nan section request for tickets, tourney prices and scheduling matches to fulfill nan lucrative tv markets successful Europe and Asia.

Worst 10 attendances of nan Club World Cup

PSG head Luis Enrique has been among those criticising nan playing surfaces, saying Fifa needs to "bear successful mind" nan value of some lucifer and training pitches if it wants nan Club World Cup to beryllium "the astir high-level title successful nan world".

"I wouldn't ideate an NBA tribunal afloat of holes," nan 55-year-old said aft his broadside hit Seattle Sounders 2-0.

"What I really attraction astir is nan authorities of nan section of play. The shot bounces almost for illustration if it were jumping astir for illustration a rabbit."

Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham besides recovered responsibility pinch nan transportation pursuing his team's 3-1 triumph complete Pachuca.

"The pitches aren't awesome astatine all. It holds up nan ball, nan shot hardly bounces," said nan England midfielder. "It's reliable connected nan knees arsenic well. Hopefully there's personification who will look astatine that going into nan World Cup adjacent year."

In short, very seriously. But past that is understandable considering location is simply a £775m prize pot, which will beryllium divided betwixt nan 32 teams, pinch nan winners earning up to £97m.

Clubs will return location a group fig for each information they reach. A triumph successful nan group shape earns them £1.5m, a tie £800,000, while they get an further £5.8m for reaching nan past 16, different £10.1m for getting to nan quarter-finals, £16.2m for making nan semi-finals, £23.2m for being successful nan last and £30m for winning nan full thing.

Manchester City were nan only squad to triumph each 3 of their group matches, beating Moroccan broadside Wydad AC 2-0, Al Ain of nan United Arab Emirates 6-0 and past Italy's Juventus 5-2 connected Thursday.

Before nan tourney started, shot information specialists Opta said nan 11 astir apt teams to triumph nan trophy were each from Europe.

However, 3 of nan continent's 12 sides person gone retired successful nan opening shape pinch Porto, Atletico Madrid and Red Bull Salzburg each exiting aft finishing 3rd successful their respective groups.

There were six sides from South America and while some of those from Argentina person been eliminated, each 4 from Brazil person made it done pinch Palmeiras taking connected Botafogo successful a last-16 tie.

Two of nan 5 teams from North America - Inter Miami and Mexico's Monterrey - are still going, while Saudi Arabian outfit Al Hilal, who play Manchester City successful nan first knockout round, are nan only Asian broadside near in.

All 4 African teams grounded to make it retired of their groups, arsenic did Oceania's only typical Auckland City, though nan part-timers did summation a memorable 1-1 tie pinch Boca Juniors of Argentina.

Last 16 fixtures (all times BST)

The quarter-finals will beryllium played crossed 4 and 5 July, nan semi-finals connected 8 and 9 July, pinch nan last taking spot connected 13 July.