When German giants FC Bayern Munich thrashed Oceanic minnows Auckland City (well, they’re minnows compared to Bayern, but remain the big dogs down under) 10-0 this past weekend, a lot of messages were sent. For FC Bayern, it was a statement of intent in their Club World Cup opener, showing everyone who’s paying attention that they’re in it to win it. For the Bavarian juggernauts’ next opponent, South American power Boca Juniors, it was a chance to be put on notice.
For detractors of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, or at least its more vastly expanded format, it was more fuel to the fire.
FC Bayern Munich vs Boca Juniors
Format 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Group C Matchday 2 of 3
FC Bayern Tournament Preview: go here
Kickoff: Fri June 20, 9pm EST, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, FL, USA
La Liga President Javier Tebas is one of the most prominent critics, as he’s openly called for its abolishment (or at least abolishing the expanded format, and reverting back to its original form).
“My objective is that there will be no more Club World Cups, I’m very clear about that,” he said at a public speaking event in Madrid.
“There is no room for it. There is no need for another competition that moves money towards the [same] clubs and players. The model affects the entire ecosystem of national leagues, especially in Europe, and there’s no more money in the world of audiovisual rights.
“We have to maintain the ecosystem we have already and eliminate it. Keep [the Club World Cup] as it was before, when it was played basically over one weekend and that was that. There are no available dates.”
Well then!
FC Bayern Munich Team News
Nothing has really changed here, from an injury or availability perspective, since the complete rout of Oceania’s best team. We covered the Bayern Munich injury situation in the last Team News article. Maybe expect some squad rotation here.
“We’ve got no problems with the guys who arrived later,” FC Bayern boss Vincent Kompany explained.
“It might be that some of them don’t start. We need to see how things are with the players who were injured for a while.”
FC Bayern Munich Starting XI Prediction vs Boca Juniors
Manuel Neuer; Konrad Laimer, Jonathan Tah, Adam Aznou, Raphael Guerreiro; Joshua Kimmich, Aleksandar Pavlovic; Serge Gnabry, Thomas Muller, Kingsley Coman; Harry Kane
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter