The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Semifinals are set to begin tomorrow, with the MetLife Stadium hosting the final three games of this tournament. With the biggest soccer event in the world right now taking up residency in New Jersey, it's time to check in Michael Battista, Matthew Mangam, and Mark Radigan, the Hudson River Blue senior writers who have been in the press box at MetLife — and endured one of the most unpleasant commutes in professional sports.
Michael has covered all six games held at MetLife this tournament, from the entertaining if scoreless draw between Palmeiras and Porto back on June 15, to Real Madrid's thrilling 3-2 win over Borussia Dortmund on Saturday. His question for Dortmund manager Niko Kovač about the state of the field at MetLife led to one of the more memorable quotes this tournament: "It's more a golf green, so you can putt here," Kovač said.
Matthew's Instant Reaction to the Madrid game was a classic exercise in rewriting an entire story in three minutes. That's what happens when you cover a game that looked like a comfortable Madrid win through 90 minutes of regulation, then exploded into near-chaos with three goals and one red card in eight minutes of stoppage time.
Mark joined Michael and Matthew in the press box for the most recent Madrid vs Dortmund matchup. Based on that experience, he can be forgiven for thinking all FIFA Club World Cup matches are energetic, well-attended games with lots of goals and drama to spare.
The three of them sat down for a mid-tournament roundtable to look back the knockout games in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, and what to expect from the final rounds left to play.
Michael Battista: The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is down to its Final Four, but before the Semifinals start, I think we should ask: How we are feeling about the tournament as we approach the end?
Matthew Mangam: I’m loving the tournament now. Like I said in the roundtable last time, there are more exciting games now, simply because of the quality of the remaining teams. Everyone loves to watch Real Madrid, PSG, and Borussia Dortmund, but not everyone cares about Ulsan HD or Mamelodi Sundowns. It doesn’t matter what the tournament is, if Madrid is playing PSG, people are going to get excited and tune in.
Mark Radigan: It certainly took a while to grow on me, but I’m thoroughly enjoying the tournament right now. The matches have been getting more and more intense and competitive as the rounds progress, and you can really see how much each side cares and longs to win this tournament.
MB: Since you both only saw one game in the knockouts so far, are there any other games from the 16 we’ve seen over the last two rounds that stand out to you? One that was the most exciting, most disappointing, whichever that stands out the most in either direction?
MM: Al Hilal beating Manchester City 4-3 was one that stood out and was the most exciting. I mean, no one expected Al Hilal to put four past City, let alone win the game. City looked unstoppable throughout the early stages of the tournament, and its new signings showed out.
Madrid vs Juventus was a disappointment: Neither team really played great.
MR: PSG 4-0 over Inter Miami surprised me a bit. I figured that PSG would win comfortably, but I expected so much more from Messi and Inter Miami. That game could’ve finished 5-0, 6-0, or 7-0 if PSG didn’t lay off in the second half.
Considering Miami was the only MLS club to make it to the knockout rounds, it was an especially disappointing way to bow out of the tournament. PSG fans were certainly happy getting one over on former Parisian Lionel Messi.
Mark Radigan
MB: One major criticism of this tournament was the belief that European teams wouldn’t take it seriously due to fixture fatigue. Three of the last four teams standing are from Europe. As the knockout rounds have progressed, what have you felt about how teams are caring about the competition?
MM: It felt that way early on, but now that we’re at this point in the tournament, the teams are definitely trying and want to win. I get why some teams wouldn’t care, but the European clubs are the favorites, and with all the depth they have, could afford to bench a player or two. Perhaps that’s not the case for the semifinals or final, but we’ve seen it happen in the earlier stages of the tournament.
MR: It’s evident that these clubs do care. Look at the scenes from PSG’s 2-0 over Bayern. After Dembele’s first-time strike hit the back of the net for 2-0, Luis Enrique and the PSG bench went mad, almost as much as they did during the Champions League final.
The same can be said for a few of the other European giants as well. At the end of the day, this is still a competitive tournament that means something to these football clubs. Yes, it may add a bit too much to the overall workload of the players, but a trophy is a trophy. And the windfall these clubs receive as participants, let alone winners, makes it worthwhile.
Oliver Strand
MB: Matthew, this was your third time covering a Club World Cup match at MetLife. What has the experience been like for you thus far, and did you feel a difference between the Group Stage and Quarterfinal games?
MM: I felt a huge difference. From a journalist's point of view, I was a bit nervous about what it would be like covering such a big game and dealing with so many other media members postgame. But I was also looking forward to the opportunity to cover two European giants in such a high-stakes game.
The group stage games were much more chill, and it seemed like journalists and staff weren’t as strict and locked in. Now that I’m covering the knockout games, it’s more stressful at times, but also more exciting.
MB: On the flip side, this was Mark’s first time covering a match in this tournament. What was it like for you, especially in your first-ever match as media at MetLife? Did you notice anything that you can point out that separates it from an NYCFC match or even your recent trip covering the USMNT in Hartford?
MR: It was unbelievable, honestly. It’s crazy to think that in my 22 years of life, and as a born and raised New Yorker, I had never been to an event at MetLife Stadium. This was an incredible first match to cover in the Meadowlands. The atmosphere was incredible, as was the press box.
The media scrum, on the other hand, was certainly a bit more chaotic than I’m accustomed to, but I guess that’s par for the course when you’re covering two of Europe's best clubs.
Matthew Mangam
MB: With an official attendance of 76,611, the match on Saturday is the second-highest attended in the tournament this year behind Paris Saint-Germain vs Atletico Madrid in the Group Stage out in the Rose Bowl. What did you think of the crowd? From the multiple waves to the scenes in and around the stadium?
MM: The crowd was amazing. I wish the windows in the press box would open up, but at times, I could hear the crowd — which was 90 percent Madrid fans — roar and cheer. I really feel that we could break 80,000 for Wednesday’s semifinal between Madrid and PSG.
MR: The atmosphere was unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed before as a journalist. MetLife Stadium is massive, and nearly every single seat was filled. The energy was palpable as the crowd hung on nearly every pass and shot fired off by Real Madrid. It certainly contested the notion that fans aren’t interested in the Club World Cup.
Oliver Strand
MB: Last Question, of the last four teams, which do you have pegged to win the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup? There are two teams looking to repeat as champions, Real Madrid and Chelsea, and two teams trying to win for the first time, Paris Saint-Germain and Fluminense.
MM: I’m going to say PSG. They’ve looked great all season long, and winning the UCL also gives them a huge edge.
But if Real Madrid wins on Wednesday, then the Spanish giants will basically already have the trophy before the ball is even kicked on Sunday, July 13. Either or, both teams are super talented and have a chance at winning the FIFA Club World Cup.
MR: Paris Saint-Germain. They are the best team on the planet right now and are the team to beat in this tournament. Ousmane Dembele is looking to cement his case for the 2025 Ballon d’Or, and if they can get past Real Madrid on Wednesday, I have full confidence that the Parisians will be lifting the trophy come Sunday, the 13th.
