FIFA Club World Cup

ZURICH — FIFA has agreed to delay the first edition of its revamped Club World Cup, due to be held in 2021, to make way for the Euro 2020 and Copa America tournaments, which have been postponed for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

After a video conference meeting of regional leaders, global soccer's governing body FIFA said in a statement on Wednesday that it would "decide at a later stage when to schedule the new FIFA Club World Cup which was due to take place in June/July 2021."

After a remarkable shootout performance from backup goalkeeper Luis Cárdenas, Monterrey can claim it’s the third-best team in the world after edging Al-Hilal on penalty kicks on Saturday at the Club World Cup. After a 2-2 draw, Los Rayados won the shootout 4-3 in the third-place match. 

OK, maybe the Liga MX side isn’t actually the third-best club team in the world, but don’t let that ruin a good excuse to party. 

Monterrey gave Liverpool all it could handle in today’s FIFA Club World Cup semifinal in Qatar. The two sides exchanged early goals through Naby Keïta and Rogelio Funes Mori, but it was the substitute Roberto Firmino who scored the dramatic winner in second half stoppage time to book Liverpool’s place in the final, where they’ll meet Copa Libertadores champion Flamengo. 

Leonel Vangioni booked a date with Liverpool with one monstrous lash of his left foot.

Monterrey’s 31-year-old Argentine left back launched a stunning long-range goal to help his team beat Al-Sadd 3-2 in the Club World Cup quarterfinals on Saturday in Qatar. The victory sends Los Rayados to the semifinals against UEFA Champions League champion Liverpool on Wednesday.

Less than 24 hours after capturing the Copa Libertadores in Peru thanks to two late goals from Gabriel Barbosa, Flamengo returned home to a riotous Rio de Janeiro on Sunday to celebrate a first South American title in 38 years. 

FIFA has once again chosen money over human rights. And FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s indifference is infuriating. 

China will host the revamped, 24-team Club World Cup in 2021, FIFA announced Thursday, once again eschewing human rights in favor of handing coveted hosting rights to authoritarian governments. 

The Palestine Cup, a FIFA-sanctioned club championship that sends its winner to the Asian Champions League, was effectively canceled this week by Israel. 

Now the world is waiting to see how FIFA reacts, if indeed it steps in at all.

Chivas Guadalajara blew an early lead by allowing three straight goals in a loss to Kashima Antlers in the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinals. Then the Japanese club ran into Real Madrid. Namely, it ran into Gareth Bale. 

It turns out, beating MLS clubs is a lot easier than beating continental champions. Chivas Guadalajara learned that the hard way this week at the Club World Cup.

While Club América was back home in Mexico winning an unprecedented 13th Liga MX title, breaking a tie with Chivas for most all time, Guadalajara was in the UAE, getting beaten by teams from Asia and Africa.