FIFA’s rebranded Club World Cup got underway in the United States this week — but some fans were less interested in the football and more baffled by a bizarre new award name.
As Inter Miami’s 0-0 draw with Egyptian side Al Ahly marked the start of the tournament, eagle-eyed viewers noticed that Oscar Ustari, the veteran goalkeeper who saved a penalty and kept Lionel Messi’s side in the match, was handed the ‘Superior Player of the Match’ award.
The name raised plenty of eyebrows among fans who took to social media in disbelief — not just at the awkward phrasing, but what they saw as another example of football losing the plot.
‘What on earth is a “superior player of the match?”‘ one fan posted. Another simply wrote: ‘Games gone, mate.’
A third X user fumed: ‘Superior player of the match? You absolute sausages. Man of the match. End of!’
And a fourth branded it: ‘Utter woke nonsense!’
Inter Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari saved eight shots — including a penalty — against Al Ahly
Miami and Al Ahly drew 0-0 on Saturday night in the first game of the 2025 Club World Cup
Ustari’s reward for his remarkable performance was the ‘Superior Player of the Match’ award
Despite the outcry, the term is not actually the result of any recent shift in gendered language.
FIFA quietly phased out ‘Man of the Match’ from its international tournaments years ago. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar used the more neutral ‘Player of the Match’, following a similar move across many domestic leagues and competitions.
So where does ‘Superior Player’ come from? It’s all about the sponsor. The Club World Cup’s player award is backed by American beer brand Michelob ULTRA, whose tagline is ‘Superior Light Beer’.
The branding was also used at the CONCACAF Champions Cup and Copa America — both held in the US — as part of the company’s marketing drive.
Even so, some fans aren’t having it. ‘What the heck is “superior player’.. good Lord… FIFA is ruining football,’ grumbled one such fan on X.
Another crudely joked: ‘Is this for dumb Americans to understand? Blimey.’
Although many fans took issue with the name of the award, few could argue against Miami keeper Ustari being a worthy recipient.
The 38-year-old made a total of eight saves, including one from Trezeguet’s first-half penalty, to earn a valuable clean sheet.
Miami’s next game is now against Porto on Tuesday, before they face Palmeiras four days later.
