Fans-tastic: FIFA relief at huge crowds

$1 billion deal

Messi, who received a standing ovation before kickoff, was unable to find the net against Al Ahly, but provided flashes of brilliance in a tightly contested, physical match.

FIFA is banking not only on Messi's star power, but also on a radical new broadcast strategy. The tournament is being streamed for free worldwide by DAZN in a $1 billion deal.

That agreement followed Saudi Arabia's SURJ Sports Investment, a subsidiary of the country's Public Investment Fund (PIF), acquiring a minority stake in DAZN for a reported $1 billion — another marker of the Kingdom's growing investment footprint in sport.

The partnership, one of the largest broadcast packages in soccer history, is central to FIFA's push to maximize digital engagement and position the Club World Cup as a global spectacle ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico.

The $1 billion prize money, which ensures a hefty $125 million for the winners, was an obvious incentive for the European clubs.

"There's a lot of money at stake. If you have the chance to earn a lot of money at a tournament, you should take it," former Bayern legend Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said.

DAZN has yet to provide viewership data.

While the crowds gave FIFA reason to be cheerful, the Bayern Munich match against Auckland City raised awkward questions about the tournament's balance, as the German champion obliterated its opponent 10-0.

Despite the lopsided contest in Cincinnati, the overall mood among organizers was one of optimism, calling the opening weekend a resounding success.

Many Floridians, however, did not know a global soccer event was taking place in their state.

"There is a World Cup? Hockey?" Asked one Miami Beach restaurant worker.

"This tournament is new, and it is different. It is the very first time clubs and players from all over the world have had the chance to face each other in competitive matches on a global stage," FIFA said, referring to the tournament's new 32-team format.

With group matches continuing through the week, and Boca's opener against Benfica drawing another bumper crowd in Miami on Monday, FIFA will be hoping to build on the early momentum — and avoid more overly one-sided encounters like the one in Cincinnati.

Benfica overcame a two-goal deficit through an Angel Di Maria penalty in first-half stoppage time and Nicolas Otamendi's 84th-minute goal, to claim a 2-2 draw against Boca Juniors in a heated match that included three red cards, four yellows and 22 fouls.