Notice - I said a 'Team of the Tournament' up there in the heading, not THE Team....
This is not intended to be any sort of definitive verdict on all the teams and players who've participated in this first Club World Cup. It's just a quick snapshot of some of the ones who've most caught my eye - with particular reference to how well they returned in the Fantasy game (while still trying to keep to a formation and a balance of players that could actually work on the pitch - so, I wouldn't allow myself three left-backs!!).
I have deliberately omitted the more major European clubs, to focus more on some of the less well-known teams (to European fans!) that have enjoyed an excellent showcase in this tournament. In fact, I was going to exclude all the quarter-finalists; but I felt that would be a bit rough on Fluminense, because, honestly, no-one expected them to get that far.
Obviously, if we were just going for the outright best players, and the ones who've been most successful in this tournament, we'd probably go for almost the whole of the PSG starting eleven, with perhaps just a token representative or two from Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, and maybe Chelsea - but that wouldn't be very interesting.
So, this is what I've come up with - essentially, the Fantasy picks that worked out best for me. But I'm pleased with the overall diversity in the selection: there's quite a spread of ages, nationalities, and different clubs here.
My Team of the Tournament - Club World Cup 2025
One of the chief pleasures of this tournament for me was being introduced to some previously unknown talents, particularly from the South American clubs. I'm really frustrated that I couldn't find a way to crowbar in a few extra ones like Fluminense's Juan Pablo Freytes, Palmeiras's Joaquin Piquerez, or River Plate's Franco Mastantuono.
What do you think are my worst omissions?
