FIFA Club World Cup
Club World Cup
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It is day six at the 2025 Club World Cup and we are entering the second round of group games as Seattle Sounders face Atletico Madrid.
The Spanish giants were thrashed 4-0 by Champions League winners PSG in their first match and will be looking to bounce back, while MLS representatives Sounders were beaten 2-1 by Brazilians Botafogo.
Both will want to bounce back today as Brian Schmetzer's side play at their home stadium in the north-west corner of the United States.
You can sign up to DAZN to watch every FIFA Club World Cup game for free.
Vargas was one of those players highlighted in The Radar from The Athletic. Another? Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez. Signing him from Manchester City for an initial €75million (£63m; $86m) last summer was a huge coup.
He was 24-year-old who had already won a World Cup and two Copa America titles with Argentina, as well as the 2023 Champions League and two Premier Leagues with City.
Possessing an uncommon mixture of technical quality and game awareness, along with a competitive spirit, he was an excellent match for Diego Simeone’s hard-working side, and recorded 29 goals (and seven assists) in 54 games, making it the most productive season of his career.
All that has been missing from Alvarez’s first season at Atletico is a trophy to celebrate at the ‘asado’ barbecues that the team’s Argentine contingent regularly hold in Madrid.
This Club World Cup presents an opportunity for Alvarez to add a new trophy to his collection.
GO FURTHER
The Radar – 2025 Club World Cup: The Athletic picks 50 players to watch
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In recent years, the Sounders’ academy has consistently churned out technically capable central midfielders. The latest, Obed Vargas, may also be their best homegrown product to date.
Born in Alaska, Vargas left for Seattle at age 15 to begin his development in earnest, needing just two years before securing an MLS contract.
Now a 19-year-old, he starts regularly in coach Brian Schmetzer’s midfield and has already amassed 107 appearances for the club in all competitions.
He has relished a new-found freedom to advance, leading all Sounders midfielders with an 84.2 per cent pass completion rate in the final third, also leading his position group in passes attempted after a carry per 100 touches.
Despite being born in the northernmost state of the U.S., Vargas filed a one-time switch with FIFA to represent Mexico, his family’s nation of heritage. He then made his debut in a friendly against the United States last October.
Given his considerable backlog of performances, his eye for a pass, and his eagerness to defend, he’s one to watch for a future move to Europe.
GO FURTHER
Club World Cup Group B: Slick PSG and streetsmart Atletico Madrid light up ‘Pool of Death’
These tournaments are all about the shared experience — and we would love to hear from you throughout this Club World Cup.
Be it a comment, observation, prediction, a question you always wanted answered, or something completely different, we welcome it all.
Email us at live@theathletic.com and have your say. We’re already looking forward to reading what you’ve got for us!
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is a little different with 32 teams competing — when the previous 20 editions never brought together more than eight clubs each.
Still, the legacy of those early years will continue and a host of famous names will be looking to add to their previous victories. Here are the most successful clubs in this competition’s history:
First, Palmeiras faced Al Ahly, with Inter Miami vs Porto also covered live on The Athletic. That one kicks off at 3pm ET.
Then it's this match, before PSG vs Botafogo (the other match in this group) rounds off the action for today at 11pm ET.
If you’re a soccer fan — and you love a host of other sports too — there is no better place to follow all your favourite teams, leagues, and players than with The Athletic.
From the UK, we’ve got you covered throughout this expanded Club World Cup and on into the build-up to next summer’s World Cup.
Then in the U.S. the NBA Finals and MLB season are all compelling viewing right now. Wimbledon tennis, F1’s iconic European races and Open golf are all on the way soon too.
We have the lot covered and much more besides, so make sure you’re fully informed with access to our full experience. And you’re in luck — you can subscribe to The Athletic on an exclusive offer here.
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Located in the SoDo neighbourhood, Lumen Field is used for both football (via the Seahawks) and men's and women's soccer. It will host matches at next summer's World Cup (for international teams).
Some fun facts: it's got views of downtown Seattle, and Seahawks fans have twice broken the Guinness World Record for the loudest crowd roar at an outdoor stadium. So it's certainly capable of generating an atmosphere!
All matches at this Club World Cup are available to watch on DAZN, so you can watch this evening’s game in the United States and anywhere else that has access to the platform.
Broadcasting rights to a selection of matches has also been licensed out to other broadcasters.
In the UK, that is free-to-air broadcaster Channel 5 — but this game is not one of those they have selected for coverage.
In Australia, the Club World Cup is also available to stream on Kayo Sports.
The match begins at 6pm ET, which works out as 3pm PT on the west coast of the United States, 11pm BST in the UK, and 7.30am for any fans tuning in from Australia.
Hello everyone and welcome along to The Athletic, where today we're covering Seattle Sounders vs Atletico Madrid.
The Club World Cup, hosted in the United States, continues today with four fixtures, including MLS side Sounders taking on Spanish giants Atletico.
Ahead of kick-off in a few hours, we're hosting coverage encompassing build-up, stats, quotes, and all the info you could ever ask for.
So stick around. We've got you from here.