“Fluminense played against City evenly until 30 seconds…” That was the ironic comment of a Brazilian newspaper about the Club World Cup final between the South American champion and the European monarch. It happens that we all couldn’t wait to see if this time the winner of the Libertadores would get closer to the winner of the Champions League. But puuuummm…! We faced each other. After 39 seconds, the English team was already winning. And at the end of 90 minutes, they completed a pleasant, overwhelming 4 to 0. It was difficult… We are still far from Europe.

Total exodus. The best proof that all the stars are leaving is that the young Brazilian Endrick from Palmeiras arrived in Spain these days to meet Real Madrid, his new club, who signed him more than a year ago. In July, when he turns 18, he will be able to fully join the white team. His power is devastating. He has what it takes to become a superstar and has already made his senior debut for Brazil. Vitor Roque, another pearl taken from Atlético Paranaense, a real star, will come of age in February and has already joined FC Barcelona, ​​where he will make his debut in two months. Rivero’s El Diablito Echeverri, who will celebrate his 18th birthday this Tuesday, has just been transferred to Manchester City. Unstoppable dribbler with a goal. City pays around 25 million euros, a ridiculous figure for them. Kendry Páez is in the same situation, a huge talent who still has 16 calendars, and when he turns 18 according to the law, he will fly to London to wear Chelsea blue. Santiago López, a skilled 17-year-old, in this case from Independiente, wants to leave no matter what. Emerging talent.

Invictus. Néstor Lorenzo’s Colombia, without brilliant figures, perhaps with Luis Díaz’s head that stands out from the rest, is the only team in South America that ended 2023 without defeat, played thirteen matches, won eight (including Germany and Brazil) and tied five . In just six games, he was on course to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

Crisis. That Brazil at the level of the national team. In the clubs, they dominate the continental scene like never before, in the national teams it’s the other way around. Brazil has never lost three consecutive matches in qualifying matches. His record as a local was impeccable. Their last five games have been deplorable: playing poorly, they beat Peru 1-0 in Lima with a goal in the 90th minute. Then they drew 0-0 with Venezuela at home, lost to Uruguay 2-0, lost again to Argentina 1-0 at Maracana and finally to Colombia in Barranquilla 2-1. It is surely the worst series in its entire history. They sacked the CBF president, who said he had agreed to let Ancelotti take over as coach, extending the Italian’s two-year deal with Real Madrid. He has been ruled out for Brazil, who currently have to be coached by interim Fernando Diniz. But apart from the question of the coach or the president, Brazil was full of ordinary players, good but normal, thousands of kilometers away from Pelé, Tostão, Zico, Falcão, Ronaldo, Romari, Roberto Carlos, Cafú…

Solomonic. FIFA’s solution for the “distribution” of the World Cup 2030. There are so many demands that the football matrix places on the hosts of the World Cup that almost no country can meet them, which is why Qatar was unique. And that’s why almost all candidacies are joint, two or three (such as the USA, Mexico and Canada). With 2030 approaching the centenary of the Cup, born in Uruguay, it was obvious that it would be appropriate to give the tournament to Uruguay and Argentina, the first finalists in history. It is also clear that South America today cannot organize a competition with the imposed standards. No resources. It was necessary to decide between Spain, Portugal, Morocco and Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay and Chile. No one could have imagined the final resolution: one game in Uruguay, one in Argentina, one in Paraguay, Chile out and the remaining 109 crossing the Atlantic, with Spain as a ten-seat base. They leave three happy South Americans who enter the World Cup without a finger, they satisfy Morocco, which has been looking for the Cup for decades, in the end the competition remains in Europe, as FIFA wants… And to calm it down, they gave Chile the U-20 World Cup in 2025. Lollipop.

Instability. The current South American qualifying round set a record: four technicians fell in the first six rounds; all four, dismissed. Guillermo Barros Schelotto, from Paraguay; Gustavo Costas, from Bolivia; Eduardo Berizzo, from Chile; and Juan Reynoso from Peru. And there may be more. Fernando Diniz is likely to leave Brazil when a new CBF president is elected. And what is the level of happiness with Félix Sánchez Basa in Ecuador…?

Ballon d’Or After Messi won his eighth Ballon on October 30, he said it was his last and now it was time for new names. The highly regarded prize, which has been dominated by the man from Rosario and Cristiano Ronaldo for the past 16 years, is entering a second phase that will see the diversification of less legendary names. Today there is no answer to a simple question: Who is the best in the world…? Haaland, Mbappé, Bellingham, Vinícius…?

Absolute domain. English football beats Spanish, German or Italian football by preference. 95.5% of the universal audience chooses to watch the Premier League. Nobody would think of spending two hours in front of the TV watching a Cádiz-Getafe game, but I wouldn’t turn a blind eye to a Fulham-Everton game. You will not only see a match but a spectacle, in which two teams attack each other without a break, VAR is there to help, the pitches are beautiful and anyone can win. And also there is not a single horse that runs alone as in Germany (Bayern) and France (PSG) or two as in Spain (Real Madrid and Barcelona). Depending on the best or worst status, many can be champions: Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, United, Tottenham…

Expectation. The one that generated the European Union’s ruling on antitrust law. Will there be a Superliga parallel to the champions…? Will it change the organizational charts of world football…? (OR)