River Plate's Club World Cup exit the latest low point for declining South American football

River Plate's elimination to Al-Ain at the FIFA Club World Cup is just the latest embarrassment for South American football. Ever since the current format of the FIFA Club World Cup was introduced in 2005, the semifinal stage has been an exercise in torture for South American champions. First, there is almost too much at stake. The most powerful force in the competition is the desire of the Libertadores winners to have a crack at the European champions. As recently as two decades ago, this was an entirely fair fight. The sad truth, from the South American perspective, is that these days their representative is no longer...

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