European giants eye redemption at FIFA Club World Cup
Inter, Man City and Real Madrid looking to win it all after a trophy-less season
As the revamped FIFA Club World Cup approaches, the tournament offers more than just international prestige. It will provide a rare chance for some of Europe’s biggest football clubs to redeem themselves following an underwhelming season.
For Real Madrid, Manchester City and Inter Milan, the expanded competition — now featuring 32 club teams from around the planet —presents a chance to end the year’s trophy-less stream with silverware and reassert global dominance. Despite playing in multiple competitions, all three of these teams ended the season with no silverware.
The tournament is not without its challenges. With the Club World Cup scheduled so soon after the end of the marathon European season, issues such as fatigue could play a significant role.
For clubs like Inter Milan, who endured a taxing campaign, the timing feels particularly cruel. However, the rewards are clear. Victory in this tournament brings international recognition, commercial clout and a morale boost heading into next season.
The Club World Cup promises plenty of drama and no shortage of storylines. Can Inter rally under new leadership following a late-season crash? Will City find their lost identity? Can a new manager script an immediate fairytale start for Madrid? When the action kicks off across 11 U.S. cities, the answers will start to take shape.
Few clubs exemplify the brutal highs and lows of the modern game better than Inter Milan. Had the tournament taken place six months earlier, the Nerazzurri would have arrived as defending Serie A champions, still in contention for a historic quadruple. Instead, they touch down in the U.S. without their manager Simone Inzaghi (who departed for Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal) and momentum evaporated.
The Nerazzurri’s late-season collapse was painful. A semifinal exit in the Coppa Italia at the hands of city rivals AC Milan was quickly followed by surrendering the Serie A title by a single point to Napoli on the final matchday. In Europe, the heartbreak deepened with a 5-0 Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
The club will be coached by Cristian Chivu, a former Romanian defender who helped Inter capture the treble in 2010. Chivu coached Serie A side Parma to safety this past season.
“We’re happy to be here,” Chivu told reporters after touching down in Los Angeles earlier this week. “We want to honor this very important competition from FIFA, by playing at our best.”
That takes us to Manchester City. The English club, a perennial power under manager Pep Guardiola, also view the Club World Cup as a potential lifeline. Though their 2024-25 campaign lacked consistency, especially during the crucial winter months.
In the end, they finished third in the Premier League, lost the FA Cup final to Crystal Palace and eliminated from the Champions League new knockout stage playoff to Real Madrid. Nonetheless, Manchester City remain among the favorites to win the Club World Cup.
Guardiola left Jack Grealish off the roster that traveled to the U.S., while midfielder Kevin De Bruyne officially signed with Napoli on Thursday. On the Man City roster for the tournament are new signings Rayan Ait Nouri, Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki.
“It’s very important for me to play the big cups like the [Club] World Cup and the Champions League,” Cherki said. “When I saw that City wanted me and that they play in the Champions League, it was very important.”
If Inter and City are eyeing the Club World Cup as a way to salvage a season, Real Madrid approach it as a potential springboard into a new era. After what can only be defined as a frustrating 2024-25 season despite Kylian Mbappe’s wonderful first season for Los Blancos, Real Madrid are ready for a reboot.
Gone is their manager Carlo Ancelotti, who recently took the Brazil job. Making his Real Madrid debut is Xabi Alonso, one of the most talked-about young managers after his success with German side Bayer Leverkusen.
The Spaniard will have Mbappe at his disposal in addition to an early summer signing in right back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who arrived from Liverpool and central defender Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth.
“Any trophy is important and the other 31 teams are there in merit based on the achievements in their own regions so it's a pretty big deal in my eyes,” said midfielder Jude Bellingham. “It’s an opportunity to win another title and a new competition and that’s not something we take lightly. It’s history and I’ve said before there’s not many things you can do at this club that haven't been done before so it’s nice to have a new opportunity.”