GM football fans. It’s Tuesday, June. 24 - Worries grow around player safety as the Club World Cup heat increases, Crystal Palace’s entry into the Conference League is a step closer, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.
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KEY FIXTURES
Club World Cup: Benfica vs. Bayern Munich, 20:00 / 15:00. Benfica will advance to the next stage should they avoid defeat against Bayern, who have six points and have already qualified for the round of 16. Bayern are undefeated in their last seven matches against Benfica, winning six times while scoring 20 goals. Auckland City vs. Boca Juniors, 20:00 / 15:00. Boca Juniors must beat already-eliminated Auckland City and have more than a seven-goal difference swing to reach the last 16. Auckland City have had a tough time at the Club World Cup, having conceded twice as many goals as their tally of touches in the opposition area. See the current Club World Cup group standings here.
TV Channels: DAZN (UK) | DAZN (US) | DAZN (Canada)
Results…
Club World Cup: Man City 6-0 Al Ain (Report) | Sounders 0-2 PSG (Report) | Atletico 1-0 Botafogo (Report) | Inter Miami vs Palmeiras & Porto vs. Al Ahly to conclude shortly after publication (See Results)
TOP TALKING POINTS
Club World Cup Heat Wave
Clubs competing in the Club World Cup have raised concerns over extreme heat, with a major heat wave now forecast to hit parts of the U.S. this week. Eight of the 11 host cities are on the East Coast, where the worst conditions are expected.
Kickoff times have compounded concerns, with 35 of the 63 fixtures kicking off earlier than 5 PM. Today’s afternoon kickoff, including Auckland City vs. Boca Juniors in Nashville, is expected to see temperatures reach 36.7 °C (98°F), and Bayern Munich vs. Benfica in Charlotte is forecasted to reach 37.2 °C (99°F). On Saturday, Borussia Dortmund’s substitutes watched their match from the dressing room during the first half to avoid the heat–see image.
Some European clubs say they're at a disadvantage compared to South American teams, who are more acclimated to high temperatures. PSG manager Luis Enrique, following defeat to Botafogo, said “the match was clearly influenced by the temperature.” Atletico’s Marcos Llorente added, “It’s impossible, terribly hot. I couldn’t slow down or speed up. It was unbelievable.”
Fifa’s only current safeguard is cooling breaks, activated at 32°C (89.6°F). Experts told The Athletic (paywall) this threshold is too high, but insiders claim Fifa sees no scientific basis for lowering it.
Palace Sale Confirmed
Crystal Palace co-owner John Textor has agreed to sell his 43% stake in the club to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson for £190m, pending Premier League approval. Johnson, 78, was the only owner to receive an F grade in the NFL Players Association's annual team report card, the league’s lowest owner score.
The sale follows Uefa’s investigation into whether Textor’s involvement in both Palace and Lyon, who also qualified for the Europa League, breaches multi-club ownership rules. Palace risk losing their spot in the competition, earned via their FA Cup win. It’s unclear if the sale will clear them to compete next season.
In related news, Irish club Drogheda lost their appeal against being removed from the Conference League next season for violating the same Uefa ownership rules.
Gold Cup Round-Up
The Gold Cup quarter-finals are taking shape after the completion of Group A and D. Mexico and Costa Rica advance from Group A, while the U.S. and Saudi Arabia go through from Group D. See the group standings here.
The United States topped their group with a perfect 3-0-0 record, the seventh time that they’ve won all their group stage matches. They’ll face Costa Rica in the quarter-finals on Sunday (June 29), having won their last six meetings, including a 3-0 victory under Mauricio Pochettino in January. Mexico, which finished top of Group A, will face Saudi Arabia.
Panama have already advanced to the quarter-finals and face Jamaica to determine Group C’s winner. All four Group B teams remain in contention, with Canada leading on four points. The remaining fixtures will conclude shortly after publication–see results.
POLL
Should we see referee cams used more widely in football?
Editor’s note: In case you haven’t seen referee cam in action, watch an example here. It’s currently being used in every Club World Cup match.
ON THE BALL
Europe
> Manchester United improve their bid for Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo to £60m from £45m (More)
> Paris Saint-Germain shirt sales have reached record levels, up 37% on the club’s previous record in 2021-22, fuelled by their Champions League win (More)
> Celtic legend John Clark has died aged 84; he won six league titles, three Scottish Cups, five League Cups and the European Cup in 1967 (More)
> Serie B playoff cancelled after 65 minutes between Sampdoria and Salernitana due to fireworks in the crowd, and it will likely result in Sampdoria being awarded a 3-0 victory due to them leading 4-0 on aggregate (More)
> Following his doping ban, Paul Pogba will sign with French club Monaco until 2027 (More)
Americas
> Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger was allegedly racially abused by Pachuca captain Gustavo Cabral during Sunday’s Club World Cup group stage fixture (More); the referee signalled the racism protocol sign after the incident (Watch)
> The San Diego Wave and Washington Spirit played out a goalless draw in the NWSL, though the Wave’s 24 points are the most they’ve had through the first 13 games in the club’s history (More)
Rest of the World
> North Korea blurred out South Korean footballer Lee Kang-in as he scored for Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup (More)
ROUTERS’ VOICE
Yesterday’s Poll: Do you think a non-European team can win the Club World Cup?
🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🌎 Yes... (59%)
🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ 🙅♀️ Nope... (38%)
🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other... (3%)
Your punditry takes:
🌎 T.C: “Speaking as a Brazilian who doesn't support any of the four Brazilian teams in the CWC, I believe Botafogo's and Flamengo's matches showed that we have the power to play at similar levels to European teams, especially in cups. I think that if it were a points league, there's no way a Brazilian team would be able to compete with Europeans, given our lack of consistency and bench depth. However, in a cup format, anything can happen. It was also funny to see so many Brazilians supporting our teams in the cup, regardless of whether you're that team's supporter or not.”
🌎 A.J: “Definitely a non-European team could win the CWC. The best bet is a Brazilian team as they have gone toe-to-toe with European teams at this tournament and previous CWCs. I’d love a LigaMX or MLS side to win it, but chances for that happening are slim.”
🙅♀️ R.F: “As cool as it would be, I can’t see a side like Botafogo or Flamengo taking down the likes of Man City, Bayern or Real Madrid. I think the furthest we see non-European teams make it will be the quarter finals.”
✍️ C.S: “I'd say it'll most likely be a European giant, but these South American teams are ruthless, the European giants aren't ready for it. I wouldn't be surprised to see Fluminense or Flamengo make a run.”
EXTRA TIME
Every VAR error in last season’s Premier League.
… and why VAR isn’t as good in football as other sports. (video)
How it stands in Club World Cup group stage.
… and the CWC power rankings change.
La Liga team map for the 2025-26 season.
Why Liverpool have gone all in on Wirtz.
The biggest World Cup wins in history.
GAME FACE ON
Who Am I…
I have played in the Premier League, La Liga, and MLS.
I was once the most expensive player in the world, transferring for £85.1m.
I have won five Champions League trophies, and I have three Champions League final goals.
Scroll below for the answer.
ON TODAY
Club World Cup
Auckland City vs Boca Juniors (20:00)
Benfica vs Bayern Munich (20:00)
*All times in UK. ET -5. CDT -6. PDT -8. MDT -7. CET +1.
Answer
Gareth Bale.
Daily Wordle: Guess the football-related word, from player names to classic phrases, in six tries or fewer. Play it here.
The pitches aren't great at all. It holds up the ball. The ball barely bounces, it's tough on the knees as well.
