FIFA Club World Cup Flashback: When Postecoglou and South Melbourne sunk Manchester United's dream
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup heralds a bold new era for intercontinental club football, as almost three-dozen teams head to the United States in search of silverware and glory.
With every game set to air for free on DAZN between June and July this year, DAZN News has stepped back into the history books for some distant tournament memories.
Today, we're rolling it back to 2000, and the FIFA Club World Championship, where Manchester United's treble-winning team came unstuck against a young Australian face.
Here is the story of how Ange Postecoglou and South Melbourne sunk Alex Ferguson's dream to become champions of the world a quarter-century ago in South America.
The tournament: 2000 FIFA Club World Championship
Alex Ferguson 1999
Alex Ferguson 1999
Though global club football had existed in one form or another with the Intercontinental Cup, it was not until the new millennium that plans for a full tournament got off the ground.
Featuring eight teams - the winners of each major confederation knockout tournament, plus defending Intercontinental Cup champions Real Madrid and a host club - it was held in Brazil during January 2000.
As incumbent UEFA Champions League winners, Manchester United were awarded a berth under Ferguson, as were Postecoglou - then in his first coaching job - and South Melbourne, as 1999 Oceania Club Championship victors.
The game: Manchester United 2-0 South Melbourne
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer FIFA CWC 2000
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer FIFA CWC 2000
After an opening draw with Mexico's Necaxa and then a defeat to Brazil's Vasco da Gama, United entered the game knowing they could not finish top of Group B and qualify for the final itself.
But hopes they might have been able to secure second, and a berth in the third-place match, were partly foiled by a South Melbourne side determined to make the most of their chance.
Two first-half goals for Quinton Fortune inside the first quarter of the game was all they could manage, and under Postecoglou, their opponents offered a well-drilled defensive display to keep them at bay.
The aftermath: Early exit for treble-winning stars
Manchester United 2000 FIFA CWC
Manchester United 2000 FIFA CWC
The result meant United had to hope that Vasco de Gama could hand a hefty defeat to Necaxa, whose superior goal difference meant they sat second despite equal points.
Ultimately, the Premier League side's inability to add more against arguably the weakest team in the competition came back to haunt them, as the Mexican side hung on in a 2-1 loss.
That spelled the end of both United and South Melbourne's Club World Championship adventure - but even with zero points to their name, it was the latter who headed home with their heads held higher.
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100 Days To Go - FIFA Club World Cup 2025
100 Days To Go - FIFA Club World Cup 2025
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