The Club World Cup has been a success for non-European clubs, who have proven how good they can be on an international level.
Argentina and Brazil have had strong showings with their clubs, which have refused to lose so far in the group stage matches. The MLS teams have also had their fair share of the titans of Europe and have fallen short. LAFC and the Seattle sounders both have a loss to their name, while Miami has the odds in their favor to advance out of the group.
After watching LAFC lose off a penalty kick miss in extra time, I started to wonder what MLS teams could be in the Club World Cup. Here are two teams I believe could have earned better results than LAFC and Seattle, which were left behind.
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Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew, led by Wilfried Nancy, has been on top of the East since he took over. An MLS Cup and a strong regular season a year ago have shown the league how culture and an organized style of play.
Columbus is one of the league’s oldest teams, as well as being one of the most successful. They may not have the same number of MLS Cups as the Seattle Sounders and the LA Galaxy.
What they do have is a large fan base and a tradition of winning, a solid roster, and a coach who elevates his players.
Columbus would have been a better option compared to Seattle. The Sounders are a traditional club in the MLS that represents the league well. Despite that, they are not a top team in the league in their current state.
Columbus plays a strong defensive style that takes advantage of their chances in the box. I’m not saying that the Crew would win the group, let alone advance out of the group, but I do believe they would have given a better fight in the group.
Vancouver Whitecaps
The Vancouver Whitecaps are the big fish in the MLS pond that are missing in the Club World Cup. The Whitecaps have been a surprise and wouldn’t have a real way to qualify for this first year of the competition.
Vancouver has displayed quality this season that we didn’t expect from them this season. Led by Brian White and Sebastian Berhalter, the Whitecaps have had a steady attack with control of the midfield against nearly every team in the MLS.
It would be interesting to see how Vancouver would execute against top European and South American competition. Though it is difficult to tell if Vancouver would fare better than LAFC and Seattle.
One thing we do know is that Vancouver has been the better team in every aspect of MLS play this season. LAFC and Seattle are battling at the back end of the Western playoff rest.
Vancouver has been the top team in the West for nearly the entire season thanks to their young core. The Whitecaps’ style of stretching the field vertically with Berhalter and finding White in the final third could have created fun chances against tougher competition.
Vancouver doesn’t have the history or the hardware compared to Columbus, but they do have the upper hand in quality of play. Hopefully, as the Club World Cup grows and changes, it will allow the current top teams to play rather than changing its standards and rules to allow certain teams and block others.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Newscom World
Recording Date: 06.14.2025