When 32 of the world’s best club teams from all six inhabited continents traveled to the United States to participate in the first-ever expanded FIFA Club World Cup, the UEFA squads surely had high expectations. With 12 clubs from Europe, no more than two in any group, and 16 knockout stage places available, there was a realistic scenario in which all 12 UEFA sides advanced.
Many might’ve expected the Round of 16 to include 12 UEFA clubs, four COMNEBOL clubs, and none from North America, Africa, Asia, or Oceania. However, the South American and North American clubs especially came to play, accompanied by legions of raucous fans that created unfriendly environments for UEFA clubs. Instead, the 16 remaining teams include nine from various European nations, four from Brazil, and one each from the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Mexico.
There have been plenty of surprises; by pre-tournament odds to advance out of the group, Monterrey (+350) was the least likely knockout-stage participant. But which club has been the most disappointing?
“Disappointing” has to be qualified by pre-tournament expectations. Five teams finished with zero points: Seattle Sounders, Urawa Red Diamonds, Ulsan HD, Wydad Casablanca, and Pachuca. Two teams — Auckland City and Al-Ain — were outscored by 10 or more goals in three games. However, all seven of those teams were expected to be pretty poor, and the CONCACAF sides were especially competitive. The New Zealand side’s point against Boca Juniors in its final match was one of the more fun moments in the competition.
Ultimately, it has to be one of the three eliminated UEFA sides. Of the three, Atlético Madrid (-230) had the best pre-tournament odds to advance, with Porto at -200 and RB Salzburg at +120.
Despite Atlético having the shortest advancement odds of any eliminated team, I can’t call them the most disappointing, given that they finished on six points, more than five sides who ended up advancing. While a 4-0 defeat on the opening match day to UCL winners Paris Saint-Germain was disappointing, expecting Los Colchoneros to pick up a point against PSG was unrealistic. If not for the Parisians failing to take care of business on the second match day against Brazilian side Botafogo, Atlético would have advanced in second. If Los Colchoneros had lost by just two goals and all other results had remained the same, they would’ve gone through, but staying within two goals of PSG is much easier said than done.
Instead, the most disappointing side has to be Porto, the first UEFA club to lose to a non-European squad and the only one not to pick up a win. Os Dragōes opened their competition with a 0-0 draw against Palmeiras in which the sides combined to get just eight of their 28 shots on target, and though the Brazilian side somewhat outplayed Porto throughout the match, it didn’t set any alarm bells ringing. But they blared in full force a few days later, when Os Dragōes blew a 1-0 edge in a 2-1 defeat to MLS side Inter Miami, as Lionel Messi curled a free kick from the top of the box to the right corner in the 54th minute. Porto managed to put just three of its 14 shots on net.
Os Dragōes’ attack finally showed up in the final group stage match, as they put four goals past Al Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shanawy, but their defense fell apart. Wessam Abou Ali scored a hat-trick in the first 51 minutes and Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane put the Egyptian side within a stone’s throw of advancing in the 64th minute. Porto needed an 89th-minute equalizer from Pepê just to avoid finishing last in Group A, and to add insult to injury, Porto’s domestic rivals, Benfica, ended up topping Group C with a win over Bayern Münich.
