About 900 volunteers in New Jersey and New York are helping to put on the Club World Cup, part of a nationwide corps of nearly 9,000. FIFA volunteer management coordinator Vanessa Elver said about 68,000 people applied to be part of the tournament's unpaid staff.

Among the stars competing in the FIFA Club World Cup are Inter Miami's Lionel Messi (Argentina), Bayern Munich's Harry Kane (England) and Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé, all of whom are expected to star for their countries at the 2026 World Cup.

The quarterfinals produced a staggering amount of drama, especially on the right side of the draw as Paris Saint-Germain faced Bayern Munich and Real Madrid dueled Borussia Dortmund in repeats of recent UEFA Champions League finals. It was the French and Spanish giants who triumphed over their German opponents.