PSG a Juggernaut, Conmebol Take the Fight to UEFA: Takeaways From Club World Cup Opening Round | OneFootball

The Club World Cup is off and running, with every single team having played their opening game of the summer tournament.

It's been an action-packed opening five days of the new-look international club competition and there's already plenty of intriguing storylines.

Match attendance, weather factors and pitch complaints have been part of the matchweek 1 talking points. However, it must be said that strictly regarding the action on the pitch, the Club World Cup has delivered so far. Stellar performances, upsets and plenty of drama have defined the action to this point, with the product on the pitch promising to only improve as the tournament reaches its adulthood.

The first Matchday of the tournament gave us plenty to analyze. Here are Sports Illustrated's takeaways from the opening round of games from the Club World Cup.

South American Sides Prove They Can Compete

Boca Juniors were less than 10 minutes away from defeating Benfica in their opening game of the Club World Cup. / Hannah Mckay-Reuters via Imagn Images

If people thought the 12 European sides in the Club World Cup were going to cake-walk their way into the knockout rounds without breaking a sweat, they were very mistaken.

All three clashes between Conmebol and UEFA sides in the first matchweek of the competition ended in a draw. Overall, UEFA sides had a slight edge with 53% of possession across the three games. However, Conmebol clubs outshot their European opponents 41 to 26, edging them as well in shots on target 12 to nine.

Despite a poor 2025 heading into the Club World Cup, Boca Juniors pushed Benfica to the brink of defeat, with the Portuguese side needing a late Nicolás Otamendi header to come back from two goals down to save a draw. Palmeiras had plenty of chances to defeat Porto in their opening game and Fluminense were better overall than Borussia Dortmund, still, both Brazilian clubs had to settle for a point. The other Conmebol teams won their opening match of the tournament.

The top European sides are still the overwhelming favorites to win the tournament, yet, South American clubs have showed they're capable of competing more than admirably against their UEFA foes. Brazilian sides especially look very strong, confirming why the country's top-flight is considered the best in the continent.

With the majority of the tournament still ahead, the first victory of a Conmebol club vs. a UEFA team in an official match in over a decade appears to be a matter of time. If South American clubs continue their strong form, they'll be a very tough challenge for any team come the knockout rounds of the competition.

European Giants Struggle Under New Managers

Inter Milan could only muster a draw in Cristian Chivu's managerial debut with the club. / Daniel Cole-Reuters via Imagn Images

Both Real Madrid and Inter Milan had to settle for 1–1 draws to start the Xabi Alonso and Cristian Chivu eras respectively.

It was Chivu's first game of in charge of Inter following the departure of Simone Inzaghi in the aftermath of the embarrassing 5-0 Champions League final defeat to PSG. A win against Liga MX's Monterrey would've been a much welcomed result to start a new era an leave behind the recent heartbreak.

However, the Nerazzurri failed to impress, settling for a draw that could've been a defeat, with Monterrey squandering a clear chance in stoppage time. True, some key players were missing, but failing to defeat a Liga MX side after being one of the best team's in Europe in 2024–25 can only be described as disappointing. Chivu has plenty of work ahead of him to ensure Inter gets within reach of the lofty expectations placed on them prior to the start of the tournament.

Similarly, Real Madrid struggled in Xabi Alonso's highly-anticipated debut, managing only a draw vs. Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal. It's true that Al Hilal are have a more than capable squad, but what's worrying is that Los Blancos looked eerily similar to the unconvincing version of the team that defined Carlo Ancelotti's final season in charge.

It's too early to judge both managers and their new teams considering they've been at the job for less than a month, but it's impossible not to feel underwhelmed at the debut performances of these two massive European clubs that entered the tournament with hopes of lifting the champions trophy.

PSG Confirm Their Status as Best Club in the World

PSG obliterated Atlético Madrid in their Club World Cup debut. / Daniel Cole-Reuters via Imagn Images

Before the Club World Cup started, many circled Paris Saint-Germain vs. Atlético Madrid as the highlight fixture of the group stage. What was supposed to be a heavyweight bout between two top European sides turned out to be an absolute mismatch.

The newly crowned Champions League monarchs took the pitch with only Ousmane Dembélé missing from the XI that took the pitch in the European final in munich. The result? A 4–0 pummeling of Diego Simeone's Atlético Madrid, dominating every facet of the game and allowing only one shot on target against.

Sure, Bayern Munich putting 10 goals past Auckland City FC was spectacular, but considering the quality of opponent, what PSG did in their debut match must be seen as a more impressive feat.

If people thought that the Parisians would skip a beat this tournament following their treble-winning campaign, the performance against Atleti silenced all the questions. It was a warning for every other team in the competition, emphatically showing why they're currently the best team in the world and the favorites to win the title on July 23.