The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is off and running, with four strong days of fun and drama already in the books. Let’s get you caught up with what you missed and what’s ahead today and tomorrow.
Check in with ESPN as we bring you the latest news and analysis, all the way up to the tournament final at MetLife Stadium on July 13.
The lead: Dortmund clearly second best as Fluminense show they’re here to play
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Some of the talk around the Club World Cup has been about the possibility of European teams sweeping all before them and turning the knockout rounds into the latter stages of the UEFA Champions League. But against Borussia Dortmund, Fluminense showed that such narratives might be wide of the mark.
The Brazilian side — beaten Club World Cup finalists in 2023 — were the better team on Tuesday at a rainy MetLife Stadium and were unfortunate to come away from MetLife Stadium in New Jersey with just a point after a 0-0 draw. Despite having less of the ball, Fluminense peppered eventual “Superior Player Award” winner Gregor Kobel with 14 shots, forcing five saves in a relentless performance.
Afterward, Dortmund boss Niko Kovac referenced the pitch and the humidity as reasons his players found it difficult. “The pitch isn’t so easy for us. I think the humidity also wasn’t so easy for all the players, although the Brazilians are more used to it,” he said. “It was hard for us, we were running a lot, but overall we can live with a point.”
In reality, Fluminense were just better and would have won but for a stunning double save from Kobel in the second half. After Dortmund failed to credibly clear a looping, outswinging corner, Kobel did brilliantly to get down low and parry Everaldo‘s curling shot from the edge of the box, recovering in time to spread out and block Nonato‘s follow-up shot from the rebound at close range.
Jobe Bellingham made his debut for Dortmund, putting in a breezy half-hour cameo as a second half substitute, but it was in many ways a fortunate escape for the Bundesliga side to emerge with a clean sheet and a draw ahead of arguably easier matches, with relative minnows Ulsan HD and Mamelodi Sundowns still to come in Group F.
One factor which maybe helped Fluminense is the timing of the tournament. They’re 11 games into their domestic season, while Dortmund are coming off a tough campaign that saw them play 50 matches. It’s perhaps no wonder that Fluminense looked fitter and fresher. — Rob Dawson
