Boca Juniors 2-2 Benfica
In a chaotic encounter at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Boca Juniors and Benfica played out a pulsating 2-2 draw that saw four goals and three red cards.
Boca surged into a two-goal lead through Miguel Merentiel (21') and Rodrigo Battaglia (27'), sparking jubilation among their fervent travelling support. However, Benfica, despite being down to ten men after Andrea Belotti's red card, showed incredible resilience.
Angel Di Maria pulled one back from the penalty spot just before halftime (45+3'), and then Nicolas Otamendi headed home in the 84th minute to snatch a dramatic equalizer. Boca also saw a red card late in the game, ending a fiery opening fixture for both sides.
Flamengo 2-0 ES Tunis
Flamengo began their Club World Cup campaign with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Tunisian side ES Tunis in Philadelphia. The Brazilian giants dominated possession and created the clearer chances throughout the match.
Giorgian de Arrascaeta opened the scoring in the 17th minute, finishing off a well-worked move. Luiz Araujo then sealed the win in the 70th minute with a superb left-footed strike from outside the box, ensuring a clean sheet and three points for the Copa Libertadores champions.
Fluminense 0-0 Dortmund
In a tightly contested affair at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, Fluminense and Borussia Dortmund played out the tournament's first goalless draw. Despite a lively atmosphere, with the crowd heavily favouring the Brazilian side, neither team could find the breakthrough.
Fluminense, captained by veteran Thiago Silva, appeared to be the more dangerous side, particularly in the second half, forcing several good saves from Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel. Dortmund, featuring new signing Jobe Bellingham off the bench, struggled to create clear-cut opportunities against a resolute Fluminense defence.
River Plate 3-1 Urawa Reds
River Plate kicked off their FIFA Club World Cup journey with a solid 3-1 victory over Japan's Urawa Reds at Lumen Field in Seattle. The Argentine side took an early lead through Facundo Colidio (10') who headed home from a precise cross.
Sebastian Driussi then doubled their advantage with a opportunistic header (54') after a defensive lapse from Urawa. While Yusuke Matsuo pulled one back for Urawa from the penalty spot (67'), Maximiliano Meza extinguished any comeback hopes for the Japanese side with a powerful header (73') from a corner, securing a vital opening win for River Plate.
Niklas Sule described the pitch as "pretty terrible" following Borussia Dortmund's goalless draw against Fluminense in their Club World Cup opener at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Real Madrid's preparations for their opening match at the FIFA Club World Cup have hit a potential setback, with Kylian Mbappe missing Tuesday's training session due to a fever.
Ex-Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena believes his former side are capable of holding their own at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States later this month.
Jobe Bellingham could make a stunning debut for Borussia Dortmund in their FIFA Club World Cup opener against Fluminense, with reports suggesting the young star might start or feature early as a substitute.
