Sergio Ramos is back in the global spotlight. The former Real Madrid defender, now aged 39, scored for Mexican side Monterrey as they drew with UEFA Champions League finalists Inter at the Club World Cup last night.
The tournament, now expanded to 32 teams and currently being staged in the U.S., is a chance to get reacquainted with former favourites like Ramos who are now playing away from Europe.
With that in mind, The Athletic has identified 10 players who you may not have realised are at the tournament, but whose faces might be about to pop back up on your radar…
Edinson Cavani – Boca Juniors
Cavani is something of a top-tier ‘journeyman’. He’s had seven employers in six countries: Uruguay (Danubio), Italy (Palermo, Napoli), France (Paris Saint-Germain), England (Manchester United), Spain (Valencia) and Argentina (Boca Juniors).
The former Manchester United forward has scored 25 goals in 67 appearances for Boca Juniors since joining the club in 2023, but missed his side’s opening fixture at the Club World Cup against Benfica with a calf injury.
Salomon Rondon – Pachuca
Speaking of journeymen, former Premier League striker Rondon has been on the books of 12 teams across four continents.
He began his career in Venezuela (Aragua) and has since played in Spain (Las Palmas, Malaga), Russia (Rubin Kazan, Zenit Saint Petersburg, CSKA Moscow), England (West Brom, Newcastle, Everton), China (Dalian Pro), Argentina (River Plate) and Mexico (Pachuca).
Rondon played for Everton, Newcastle and West Brom in the Premier League (Manuel Velasquez/Getty Images)
He has enjoyed a productive two seasons at Mexican side Pachuca, who face Red Bull Salzburg tonight, then Real Madrid and Al Hilal in Group H.
Manuel Lanzini – River Plate
If there was a tier down from ‘streets won’t forget’, Lanzini would be in there. Not quite on par with the likes of Dimitri Payet and Jay-Jay Okocha, but capable of an eye-catching moment every now and then. The attacking midfielder joined River Plate in 2023 after leaving West Ham following an eight-year spell.
Lanzini was an unused substitute in River Plate’s 3-1 victory against Japanese side Urawa Reds on June 17. The other teams in Group E include Inter and Monterrey.
Sergio Ramos – Monterrey
Ramos needs no introduction. The Real Madrid legend is one of the most accomplished players of his generation and a serial winner. The situation he inherited at his new team that he joined in February, however, is less well known.
Monterrey, one of Mexico’s richest clubs, entered the Club World Cup with a brand new manager after former Manchester City and Bayern Munich defender Martin Demichelis was fired.
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One of Pep Guardiola’s former assistants at Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City, Domenec Torrent, managed his first game for Monterrey in the 1-1 draw against Inter, with Ramos scoring the opening goal. The Spanish defender has high hopes for Monterrey at the Club World Cup, saying they can “compete on equal footing with any team.”
Thiago Silva – Fluminense
Silva, a UEFA Champions League winner with Chelsea in 2021, joined Brazilian team Fluminense upon his departure from the west Londoners in the summer of 2024.
The former PSG and Milan defender, now 40, joined Chelsea in 2020 with the intention of only staying for one year, but it turned into a four-year stint. Former Real Madrid defender Marcelo was among his team-mates in Brazil, but the left-back retired in February — the pair had also played for Fluminense earlier in their careers.
Silva after Fluminense’s draw with Dortmund (Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images)
Silva helped Fluminense keep a clean sheet in the goalless draw with Borussia Dortmund, a game which saw new signing Jobe Bellingham make his debut for the German side.
Ander Herrera – Boca Juniors
Herrera left Manchester United in the summer of 2019 to join PSG, before rejoining Athletic Club in 2022, the team he left to join United in 2014. The midfielder then joined Boca Juniors in January.
In their first Club World Cup match, a 2-2 draw, Herrera was sent off just before half-time for his reaction to VAR awarding Benfica a penalty. Nicolas Otamendi, a member of Argentina’s World Cup-winning squad in 2022, had been fouled and Herrera’s reaction to the decision led to him being given a red card, despite having already being subbed off with an injury.
He joins a contingent of former Manchester United players at the club including Cavani, Marcos Rojo and Sergio Romero.
Aleksandar Mitrovic – Al Hilal
Mitrovic joined Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal in 2023 after his most productive season in the Premier League.
During the 2022-23 campaign, the Serbian striker scored 14 goals in 24 Premier League games for Fulham — who he joined from Newcastle United in 2018 — before moving to the Saudi club for £45million ($60.1m at current rates)
Since joining Al Hilal, he has averaged more than one goal involvement per game, scoring 68 goals in 79 games to go alongside 15 assists.
Ruben Neves – Al Hilal
Like Mitrovic, Neves is another player who moved to Saudi Arabia at the peak of his powers in the summer of 2023.
Barcelona were interested in signing the former Wolves midfielder but in the end, he joined Saudi side at the age of 26 for a fee of £47m.
Neves left the Premier League to join Al Hilal (Abdullah Ahmed/Getty Images)
He has won four trophies in Saudi Arabia so far, including the Saudi Pro League in 2023-24. Neves was also part of the Portugal squad that beat Spain on penalties to win the 2025 Nations League.
Joao Cancelo – Al Hilal
Once upon a time, Cancelo was a key cog under Guardiola at Manchester City but the versatile defender ended up leaving on a permanent basis in 2024 after loan spells at Bayern Munich and Barcelona.
Cancelo said that he felt City were “ungrateful” to him. Now his team-mates include Mitrovic, Neves and former Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly at Al Hilal, having left City in a deal worth £21m.
Al Hilal are now managed by former Inter manager Simone Inzaghi, who recently joined the Saudi Arabian side on a two-year deal worth £22.1m per year.
Alex Telles – Botafogo
Telles’ time at Manchester United might best be remembered for him helping to eliminate his main employers from the Europa League while playing on loan at Sevilla two years ago.
The Brazilian full-back joined United from Porto in 2020 but only made 30 Premier League appearances in three years. He left on loan to join Sevilla in 2023 and won the Europa League, before joining Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr in a deal worth £3.4m that summer. A move to Botafogo followed in 2024.
The left-back started in the 2-1 victory against MLS’ Seattle Sounders in their Club World Cup opener.
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(Top photo: Edinson Cavani. Marcelo Endelli via Getty Images)
This news was originally published on this post .
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