The delayed FIFA Club World Cup 2021 finished on Saturday with Chelsea defeating Palmeiras 2-1 in Abu Dhabi to be crowned world champions for the first time, and with Al-Ahly of Egypt finishing third after defeating Saudi’s Al-Hilal 4-0.
Here are five things we learned about the tournament.
1. Al-Hilal almost spoiled the good work done in the Chelsea game
Losing 4-0 to Al-Ahly in the third and fourth place play-off was a painful experience for Al-Hilal. The only slight positive to take from this game for the Saudi Arabians was that the rest of the world is not that interested in which teams finish third and fourth at the Club World Cup. There is also the fact that the scoreline could have been an awful lot worse given that the Asian champions were three goals and two men down by half-time.
The frustrating thing was that this had been a good tournament hitherto for the Riyadh giants. The 6-1 thrashing of Al-Jazira in the opening game had been a stunning result at the home of the champions of one of Asia’s biggest and best leagues. They then pushed Chelsea all the way and could easily have taken the game into extra time, and most observers thought they deserved to. Going into Saturday’s “Arab Classico,” Al-Hilal’s reputation overseas had never been higher.
2. Al-Ahly need to keep Pitso Mosimane
To put it simply, Pitso Mosimane is one of the best coaches around and if he wasn’t African, that would be recognized globally. The South African has performed fantastically since arriving at the club in September 2020. He has delivered two African Champions League titles, two third-place Club World Cup finishes and one league triumph. There would surely have been two but other commitments meant that Al-Ahly were just not able to keep up with Cairo rivals Zamalek.
If “Jingles” had had his full team for this tournament and not been missing many of his best players at the African Nations Cup, then a win over Palmeiras in the semifinal would not have been a surprise.
With his contract set to run out later this year, the Red Giants need to keep this leader and the signs are that they are ready to offer a bumper contract. The indications are that he wants to stay and, if so, don’t be surprised to see Al-Ahly return to the Club World Cup a few more times in the years to come.
3. Chelsea did what they came to do
The English team was still sore about losing the 2012 final to Corinthians and were keen not to make the same mistake against Palmeiras. The final was a battle and ended 2-1 thanks to a late penalty from Kai Havertz, the same man who scored the winning goal in last year’s Champions League final against Manchester City.
It is a third trophy for Thomas Tuchel and perhaps the win will get Chelsea’s form back on track after an uncertain period in the Premier League where they are now 16 points behind the leaders City. Troubled striker Romelu Lukaku scored in both games and that can only bode well for the coming tests in the league; the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool and the UEFA Champions League second round tie with Lille. And even if Chelsea don’t recover their earlier form, they have already won a major trophy this season.
4. Al-Hilal and Al-Ahly argued their case off the pitch too
Both these Arab giants added to the tournament where it mattered — on the pitch. Both South American and European champions knew they had been in a game. Yet, it is possible that their greatest contribution came off it. Pitso Mosimane and Leonardo Jardim made their points before their big semifinals and both said that the format of the tournament was unfair. As all know, the South American and European champions are given a bye to the semifinal while Al-Ahly and Al-Hilal both had to play second-round games just three days earlier.
The comments received a lot of attention from the international media. It is recognised that the way things are organized is unfair. FIFA has long had plans to expand the tournament with 24 of the best club teams in the world heading to China from 2023. It has been a controversial idea and it remains to be seen if it actually happens. Whatever shape the Club World Cup takes in the future, all teams have to be treated equally.
5. The tournament was a success
The FIFA Club World Cup 2021 was a success. In football terms, it was enjoyable with plenty of action. There were entertaining second-round games and then two competitive semifinals with the clash between Chelsea and Al-Hilal exactly the kind of game this tournament needs — a real game with a rattled European champion happy to hear the final whistle. The competition was full of teams that wanted to win it and that has not always been the case in the past.
The crowds were good with most of the competitors well-represented in the stands. The final saw about 15,000 cheering on Palmeiras, making lots of noise and providing plenty of color. Of course, in the modern world it is hard to avoid the shadow of COVID but this tournament did very well in not being dominated by it. That is a testament to the organizers as well as the host city and country.