The best of the Club World Cup is yet to come: it had to "import" passion, but it already delivered goals and a show amidst the extreme heat and storms "fit for matches."

The party continues in the United States despite the fact that Argentine soccer no longer has any representatives in the round of 16 of the Club World Cup . Of the 16 teams that have qualified for the knockout stage, nine are European, most of them favorites over the four Brazilian teams, Mexico's Monterrey, the Arab side Al Hilal, and Lionel Messi's Inter Miami. It's inexplicable not to see Boca Juniors or River Plate in that group, although it serves as a criterion for evaluating their poor international performance.

There were 45 matches, most of them tied and highly entertaining, even with surprises and resounding routs. But the meridian of the competition allows for assessments beyond the sporting aspect in terms of organization, and Gianni Infantino 's FIFA is rubbing its hands together: the most repeated word is "success," a success, with much room for improvement. Therefore, work is already underway on the next match and changes are being evaluated, including the qualification system and the number of participants.

The Swiss-based multinational is celebrating, but so is DAZN , the British network that in February added the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund as a shareholder. This state is increasingly dominant in the sports industry, and which, not coincidentally, will host the World Cup in 2034. The streaming broadcasts are of astonishing quality, with features that are here to stay, like the referee's camera. But the most striking thing is that they're free, at least for now. Because economic interests are at stake in the USA, but also cultural ones, and when the charity is large...

Donald Trump (or "el Tromp," as Latinos who regret having voted for him say) isn't involved in those matters: soccer isn't on his agenda . When the tournament kicked off, he was feuding with Elon Musk; now he's torn between provoking or avoiding a third world war. We'll see what happens in a couple of weeks. No one talks about the ball.

The land of freedom welcomed the Club World Cup as if it were a dentists' convention. They provided the stadiums, hotels, security, and logistics, all of which were essential; the essence of the passion came from abroad, both through the many immigrants living here and the multitudes of Brazilian tourists and the (poor) Argentine fans. Very few Europeans. In South Florida and California, there was talk of fear of deportation, but according to local media, it was nothing more than that: a threat. Living like this is also living with fear .

In terms of attendance, the stands aren't overflowing with people, with a few exceptions, such as the Boca Juniors, Messi, and Palmeiras matches in Miami, Real Madrid, River Plate vs. Inter in Seattle, or the Manchester City vs. Juventus clash in Orlando. Overall, the contrast between immense stadiums and small crowds doesn't seem appropriate for a tournament of this magnitude. Even so, FIFA announced that it has already sold more than 1.5 million tickets , and the trend is expected to continue upwards leading up to the final, which will be held on July 13 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

One positive aspect is that no incidents of violence were reported, apart from the fistfights at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena when Botafogo and PSG played. The police learned their lesson from last year's Copa América and this time used drones and undercover officers. The Palmeiras-Botafogo clash this Saturday at 1 p.m. in Philadelphia will be a real test.

Furthermore, the World Cup goes so unnoticed in this vast region that the organization's biggest shortcoming is access . Around Hard Rock Stadium, for example, no one knew how to get there or which gate to enter through. And the daily highway traffic doesn't help either. The same thing happened in Charlotte, where Real Madrid played, with endless lines under a blazing sun.

Extreme temperatures are worrying because they will be repeated in a year with the World Cup. It's impossible to play normally in these conditions, and the consequences can be serious: Argentine Gianluca Prestianni, for example, suffered heat exhaustion during the match between Benfica and Bayern Munich and had to be replaced. FIFA offered hydration breaks, but they seemed more like a commercial commitment sold to a sponsor because they also took place at 21 degrees and even in the rain.

When the heat wasn't there, thunderstorms appeared: Benfica's match against Auckland City was held up for 145 minutes. The day will come when the United States will be able to stop the lightning; in the meantime, they'll have to deal with these adversities. What FIFA can fix are the tiebreakers it implemented in this tournament, which are complicated to understand and open the door to speculating on results, or, to put it bluntly, match-fixing.

The playing fields were another factor to be reviewed in this World Cup, based on the disrepute seen at last year's Copa América. FIFA is not the same as CONMEBOL, that's clear. And the balance is positive despite some European complaints, such as that of Jude Bellingham, who spoke of the grass being too hard, and that of Luis Enrique, who quipped: "I can't imagine an NBA court with holes."

Teams like Barcelona and Liverpool, champions of their leagues and protagonists on the global stage, are missing. That's why FIFA could tweak its regulations so that next time it doesn't miss the opportunity to host, for example, a Spanish derby. Brazil moved quickly and has already applied to host the next tournament: its clubs and fans in the US are earning enough to be considered.

Infantino officially announced this tournament in December 2022 in Qatar, days before the final between Argentina and France. An announcement regarding the upcoming tournament is expected in the coming weeks. There's talk of holding the Club World Cup every two years and expanding the number of participating teams to 48, following the trend for national teams, but with wild cards. It's all for the show.