Police, fear of deportation, and strange scores: the Club World Cup gets underway
The competition begins marked by the authorities' fear of incidents and political protests at the tournament.
BarcelonaThe inaugural FIFA Club World Cup began with a goalless draw between Inter Miami and Egyptian side Al-Ahly. The match was being played at Hard Rock Stadium in Florida, where American football is normally played. Around 60,000 people gathered, though the venue was not completely filled, in part because some fans were afraid to go to the stadium, as access required multiple security checkpoints. Many of the fans who wanted to go were Latino immigrants, some of them without proper papers.
Club World Cup has begun with border police deployed in the cities hosting the matches and a strange first few matches, as a goalless draw led to a 10-0 thrashing by Bayern against New Zealand champions Auckland City in a stadium that was also not full. PSG and Atlético Madrid starred in the first high-profile match, with the French thrashing with goals from Fabián Ruiz, Vitinha, Senny Mayulu and a penalty from Kang-in Lee (4-0).
The inaugural Club World Cup comes at a time of international and local tension within the United States, following the murder of Democratic state congresswoman Melissa Hortman and her husband, and protests in several cities over the actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. "U.S. Border Protection is committed to working to ensure the Club World Cup is safe and secure for everyone involved, just as we do with all major sporting events, including the Super Bowl. Our mission has not changed," authorities explained, without specifying whether they would use the tournament to try to catch undocumented immigrants. In the Miami area, one million people of Latino origin are worried about their future.
The Club World Cup isn't quite hitting the mark, and one reason is over-security, as the Trump administration seeks to avoid the incidents that occurred at the 2024 Copa América final between Argentina and Colombia, which saw fights in the stands and fans entering without fans. At the time, law enforcement officials said a lack of intelligence gathering and inadequate security perimeters led to the chaos, which delayed the match for 80 minutes and left hundreds injured. "For the Club World Cup, fans will have to pass through multiple checkpoints. The safety of fans and participants is paramount in everything we do to ensure a positive and memorable experience for all. Our security team has been planning and working closely with the authorities," FIFA President Gianni Infantino said before the event. Both FIFA and Trump want the tournament to be a success a year before the 2026 World Cup.
That's why thousands of police officers from various security forces have been mobilized, also tasked with preventing political protests inside stadiums, as many of the fans who usually attend the US League are of Latin American origin, and anti-Trump banners have been seen at domestic matches. At this Club World Cup, the rule is to keep out political symbols. To avoid incidents, entry has been denied to fans with criminal records associated with clubs like Boca Juniors in Argentina and Palmeiras in Brazil. Even a Boca Juniors player with a criminal record for aiding a cousin in a robbery was barred from entering. FIFA and Trump want to succeed by any means necessary. Or pretend everything is fine, although some teams have trained just meters away from demonstrations that ended with injuries.