For those missing their football fix, the Club World Cup starts this weekend.
For those in the UK, you can watch 23 of the 63 matches live on Channel 5.
The remaining 40 games can be viewed free on DAZN.
A few things for Gooners to watch…
If / How Much / Where Does Rodrygo Play?
It’s believed that Rodrygo is high on Arsenal’s shortlist.
The 24-year-old wouldn’t be cheap, and the Gunners would need some sort of sign that Real Madrid are willing to negotiate.
The Brazilian’s preference is to stay at the Bernabéu, and it would take his new manager to tell him directly that he isn’t in his future plans.
Talks won’t happen until after the tournament, but actions speak louder than words.
We could find out as soon as Wednesday if Xabi Alonso sees Rodrygo as being part of his first-team plans, and if it’s on the left-hand side, which the player desires.
A Gunner at the Club World Cup
Playing at the Club World Cup was always part of Porto’s loan deal for Fábio Vieira.
After 5 goals and 5 assists since his return to Portugal, it’s a deal both parties would like to make permanent, but the Dragons have made it clear they don’t have the finances to let Arsenal recoup the £34 million they originally invested.
With the world watching, the midfielder of course has a chance to put himself in the shop window and increase his value.
This is where Mikel Arteta’s strategy could come back and bite him.
Our manager has a track record of loaning out, or even ripping up the contracts of any talent who no longer suits his ethos.
So even if Vieira shines at this tournament (Porto’s first game is Sunday), who’s going to pay a transfer fee for the 25-year-old when they know the Gunners will eventually agree to a loan or a cut-price fee?
All Gooners Support Los Angeles FC
Olivier Giroud has made a career out of proving people wrong and, at 38, is looking to add the Club World Cup to his impressive CV.
I know Gooners who used to mock the striker, yet would then praise the likes of Eddie Nketiah.
Given the names the Frenchman was called, he got the last laugh, adding the World Cup, Champions League, Europa League, Serie A, and another FA Cup to the three FA Cups he lifted as a Gunner.
It’s unclear how seriously the European participants are taking this competition, but it’s a big deal to the clubs in the MLS, especially with America hosting the tournament.
Giroud starts his campaign, ironically, against his former club Chelsea on Monday.
Messi Factor
Neutrals might just want to sit back and see if a 37-year-old Lionel Messi can carry his team over the line.
That was what caught the imagination at the last international World Cup, and FIFA are hoping for the same here.
Gianni Infantino will never admit it publicly, but that’s why Inter Miami have been invited to participate, and why they kick off the event on Sunday.
David Beckham’s franchise did not qualify under the criteria their peers had to.
Apparently, the FIFA president was so impressed with how Inter Miami won the Eastern Conference, he felt their season had to be recognised due to them winning the Supporters’ Shield (the most points across the Eastern and Western Conferences).
That makes a mockery of the MLS play-offs, which ultimately decide who wins the MLS Cup.
Meaning, if any club from America should have been included, it’s LA Galaxy.
If they had Messi, they would have been.
While the Messi brand has thankfully not been enough to get fans to pay over the odds for tickets, he will attract the casual audience.
A Familiar Face
As expected, Jorginho left Arsenal as a free agent to return to Brazil and could make his debut on Tuesday.
It will be emotional for the 33-year-old, who moved to Italy when he was 15, meaning this will be the first time he professionally plays for a Brazilian club, how he always wanted to end his career.
The irony is that his second game will be against Chelsea, the club he won the Champions League with.
As a resident of the UK, opinions vary on the importance of the Club World Cup, but trust me, in South America, it’s massive.
They are proud of their history in that part of the world, so while they don’t have the financial pockets of their European counterparts, they will want to put up a fight.
In the UK you can watch the Club World Cup between Channel 5 and DAZN.
Dan Smith
