GOAL US ranks the best fixtures of the summer, from famous upsets to goal fests you might have missed
What makes a great game? Is it the personnel? The teams involved? What's on the line? Or is it the drama and jeopardy of it all? You can make a case either way. A 4-4 between two mid-table Premier League teams, for example, might be far more compelling than a 2-0 win in a Champions League final, even if the winner of the latter lifts a trophy.
It really depends on your taste. And over the course of the Club World Cup, there's been a fine mix of everything. There have been some quality group stage games that didn't mean anything. There have been some seismic upsets. There have been games that are important, but might ultimately be remembered for the wrong reasons. And perhaps that's what's most important in a month-long tournament: a good mix of compelling stuff to reflect on.
GOAL U.S. does just that, putting together a ranking of the seven best teams of the 2025 Club World Cup…
Watch every FIFA Club World Cup game free on DAZNStream nowAFP7Chelsea over Benfica, 4-1
Hope you were locked in. Benfica-Chelsea wasn't a magnificent spectacle. It didn't make for awesome viewing. But it did highlight the biggest issue with this tournament: the weather. Delays interrupted play and left a gaping two-hour gap in proceedings. Chelsea ran out 4-1 winners in extra time after hitting a new level of quality – a result that kickstarted their run to the final. However, this one will likely be remembered as the game that made everyone start thinking about the forecast.
AdvertisementGetty Images Sport6Bayern Munich over Boca Juniors, 2-1
Everyone made all of the right noises about South American fans. They were fun. They were good to watch. They were loud. But the teams were a bit of a mixed bag – especially the Argentines. Bayern-Boca, though, gave a brief glimpse of clarity into how an Argentine side could really push a European one. Here was a contrast of styles: one team trying to play too much football, and another determined to not let them play any whatsoever. Put simply: Boca tried to kick the living sh*t out of Bayern. And it oh so nearly worked, with Bayern nicking a 2-1 win. Almost glorious.
AFP5PSG over Real Madrid, 4-0
Sometimes, batterings are the best games. Real Madrid were never in this one, but it was a fixture that showed, exactly, just how dominant PSG are. They scored three in the first half, and spent the second basically conserving energy – even if manager Luis Enrique insisted otherwise. Madrid fans, look away, but this was a near-perfect performance from the Parisians.
Getty Images Sport4Borussia Dortmund over Mamelodi Sundowns, 4-3
What team Mamelodi Sundowns are. "The Brazilians" from South Africa were earmarked by many as a side to watch at the CWC. Quick, fun to watch, and full of attacking verve, it was promised that they would put on a show. And against Dortmund, they came close to springing one of the better upsets of the tournament. They were ruthless on the break, scored three really lovely goals, and deserved the win. Then, Jobe Bellingham took over, scoring and assisting to carry the German side to a 4-3 victory. There's something in those Bellingham genes, eh?