Brazil and the price behind the Club World Cup glory

The prestigious tournament in the US has become a launching pad for Brazilian stars, but has also caused a wave of talent loss that has left South American clubs struggling.

Many Brazilian clubs are "bleeding" talent after the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup has become a showcase for South American stars, especially Brazilian players. But the spotlight quickly became a double-edged sword, as a number of key players from the samba country were lured away by European teams.

The four Brazilian representatives, Palmeiras, Flamengo, Botafogo and Fluminense, all failed to retain their squads after the tournament. Fluminense impressed by reaching the top four, becoming the only non-European club to reach the semi-finals. However, that journey made them the target of European scouts.

Immediately after the tournament, Wolverhampton immediately recruited Jhon Arias - one of Fluminense's brightest stars. Meanwhile, Botafogo suffered a serious loss when they lost two key players Igor Jesus and Jair Cunha to Nottingham Forest. This was a heavy blow after they had to say goodbye to Thiago Almada (Lyon) and Luiz Henrique (Zenit) in the previous transfer window.

Palmeiras lost Richard Rios - a player who made a splash at the Club World Cup - to Benfica. Flamengo were also not spared from the transfer "storm": Gerson went to Zenit, and Wesley signed a contract with AS Roma.

In total, six key names left one after another, reflecting the reality that Brazilian clubs can hardly compete financially and attractively with Europe.

Jhon Arias has just joined Wolverhampton.

For South American players, the FIFA Club World Cup is a chance to prove themselves on the international stage. But for Brazilian clubs, the tournament is like a “calling card” that helps Europe identify talent and be ready to spend money to recruit them.

“The FIFA Club World Cup is a global stage, but it comes at a high price for smaller clubs,” said one expert. “They showcase their stars to the world , but in return, their squad strength is gutted in just one summer.”

Brazil has produced countless football legends, but the talent drain is becoming increasingly difficult to control. The brilliance of the FIFA Club World Cup has brought fame, but also left a huge void that domestic teams will have to fill for a long time.

Source: https://znews.vn/brazil-va-cai-gia-sau-anh-hao-quang-club-world-cup-post1569516.html