From Inter Miami's Lionel Messi facing former side Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid meeting Juventus and Chelsea taking on Benfica, here is how the last 16 of the Club World Cup have shaped up:
The French superstar was taken to hospital on Thursday for tests and treatment after suffering gastroenteritis, before later being released.
Veteran playmaker Messi curled home a fine free-kick in a man-of-the-match performance in Atlanta, the winning goal in Miami's 2-1 Group A victory over their Portuguese opponents.
Coach Pep Guardiola used this occasion to field something of an experimental line-up.
New head coach Xabi Alonso will make his debut on the Real bench for the Group H match at Hard Rock Stadium and could be without several regulars.
Argentine striker Lautaro Martinez scored a well-worked equaliser to cancel out Sergio Ramos's opener for Monterrey in a hard-fought tussle in front of 40,311 fans at the Rose Bowl.
The UEFA Conference League winners defeated Los Angeles FC 2-0 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta with only 22,000 fans present at the 71,000-capacity arena.
FIFA controversially awarded Lionel Messi's Inter Miami a backdoor route into the tournament, ensuring the sport’s biggest name would be there after he propelled soccer to new heights in a country often ambivalent to the world’s most popular game.
At the heart of the Club World Cup lies this improbable meeting of worlds.
Lionel Messi drew vast crowds and showed flashes of his brilliance when his Inter Miami side were held to a goalless draw by African giants Al-Ahly as the revamped Club World Cup got off to a festive start on Saturday.
The Argentinian has been in the USA long enough to know that American football fans will be drawn to the allure of the global showpiece, which will conclude July 13 at MetLife Stadium near New York City.
Despite concerns over ticket sales and player fatigue, FIFA's new expanded Club World Cup will throw up several intriguing storylines this summer in the United States.
Infantino also took aim at critics of FIFA's ticketing policy and said that skeptics who had questioned the need for the tournament would quickly change their minds.
The winners of the Club World Cup will receive up to £97m ($125m) from FIFA.
Inter Milan have chosen Cristian Chivu to lead the Serie A club into a new era, confirming the former Romania defender as Simone Inzaghi's replacement ahead of the upcoming Club World Cup.
Since joining Atleti, the Argentine forward has thrived under Diego Simeone’s intense system.
A surprising twist came from the top, as FIFA President Gianni Infantino hinted at the possibility of the Portuguese star featuring in the tournament under different colours.
With the domestic title out of reach, Bellingham and Real Madrid have now set their sights on international silverware.
FIFA unveiled its team of 117 match officials on Monday for the inaugural Club World Cup and said referees would wear body cameras and enforce stricter goalkeeper time-wasting rules at the tournament to be staged across the United States.
