Porto chief drops transfer bombshell in latest FIFA Club World Cup humiliation

Porto president Andre Villas-Boas has revealed that prospective targets have turned down moves to the Portuguese giants this summer due to their participation in the Club World Cup.

Villas-Boas was previously manager of and before becoming Porto president in 2024. In that role he oversees all operations at the club, who finished third in the Primeira Liga last season.

They still managed to qualify for this summer's Club World Cup, which kicked off on 14 June and is being held across the United States. Porto were drawn in Group A, alongside Al Ahly, Inter Miami and Palmeiras.

Their first game was against the Brazilian side at the MetLife Stadium, ending in a goalless draw. The Portuguese side made two signings ahead of the tournament, bringing in Gabriela Veiga from Al-Ahli and Nehuén Pérez from Udinese.

But Villas-Boas has now revealed that his side were left frustrated by the amount of business they were able to do. And he pointed the finger at a lack of appetite for the Club World Cup as the prime reason players were reluctant to join.

READ MORE:

READ MORE:

"We tested the market recently, during the special transfer window from June 1 to 10 for clubs participating in the Club World Cup. It was incredible to see that many footballers did not want to participate in the competition," Villas-Boas told the Men in Blazers podcast.

He added that players "prefer to rest in order to get off to a good start for the new season". He insisted that is "A good thing," with the players' union (FIFPRO) "calling for more rest for players."

"There are some European clubs that had to give their players a vacation, then bring them back very early without giving them time to recover. For us, it's as if we're continuing from last season," Villas-Boas went on to say.

"And whatever happens after this tournament, the new season arrives, so they've never had the reset they need (before) a new season. A few clubs that are competing probably have a competitive advantage. Especially the Brazilian and Argentinian clubs, because they're in the middle of the season."

It is the latest humiliation to hit FIFA during their much-heralded Club World Cup revamp. They have turned the tournament into a quadrenniel event, with 32 teams from across the world featuring.

But the event has seen some shockingly low attendances, with the stadium for Chelsea's win over Los Angeles FC less than a third full. Only 11,974 turned up for River Plate's win over Urawa Red Diamonds in a stadium that has a capacity of 68,740.

The real low point came on Tuesday night though when only 3,412 people turned up to watch South Korean side Ulsan HD lose to South African team Mamelodi Sundowns.

and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our