Was the revamped Club World Cup a success?
by Sam Cox
Gianni Infantino attempted to make the Club World Cup into a marquee tournament. Replicating the format of the national team World Cup with 32 teams competing across an intense few weeks of soccer, this was operating as a test run for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held across the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
Interest in the Club World Cup hasn’t been as widespread as Infantino will have initially hoped. Ticket prices were too high – particularly with many matches scheduled during working hours in the US – and stadiums were rarely full. Sports bettors showed some desire to engage with Club World Cup picks, but the scheduling of the early rounds made matches unwatchable for the European audience unless they were willing to sacrifice the majority of their sleep.
Crowds in the group stage were embarrassing for FIFA. Less than half of the stadium was full as Chelsea faced LAFC. Ticket prices were slashed in the build-up to the match, as was the case for fixtures across the opening phase of the competition.
Television viewing figures are more encouraging, however, with 1.4 million tuning in to watch Chelsea in the UK. Matches shown on subscription platforms were less popular in the US and Europe, even with some of the world’s best teams on show.
Tournament Upsets
The biggest positive from this tournament has been the upsets. Inter were knocked out by Fluminense in the last 16, Manchester City lost to Al-Hilal in the same round, and River Plate failed to make it out of Group E.
Porto, Atletico Madrid, Boca Juniors, and LAFC also fell in the first round of the competition. The first two were surprises, while Boca and LAFC were unlikely to progress. The absence of a South American powerhouse and a big-market, highly successful MLS team won’t have helped fan interest in the Americas.
After all, many critics of this tournament saw it as a compromise to stop another attempt at a European Super League. It looked like a glorified Champions League knockout phase with the European clubs given a favorable path to the last eight.
It didn’t quite work out that way, but only one MLS team reaching the knockout stages added to the feeling that this was a bankrolled, oversized version of a preseason tournament for Chelsea, Manchester City, PSG, and co.
Criticisms
Jurgen Klopp described the Club World Cup as ‘the worst idea ever implemented in football’. That’s a big statement considering the amount of competition in that category.
Extreme weather has been a constant problem. Severe heat has led to cooling breaks in each half, while thunderstorms have caused numerous games to be suspended.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was scathing in his assessment.
Maresca said, "I think it's a joke, to be honest.
"It's not football. It's completely something new; I struggle to understand.
"I can understand if it's security reasons, but if you suspend seven or eight games, then it's probably not the right place to do the competition.
The Union of Professional Footballers in France released an even more hostile statement, with PSG set to play their 65th match of the club season if they reach Sunday’s final of the Club World Cup.
In the statement, the UNFP said, "It tramples on the physical and mental health of players for a few extra dollars, while making a mockery of, or even ignoring, the collective agreements - La Charte, in France - which, more or less everywhere, provide for an incompressible three-week rest period for footballers between two sports seasons."
They also called on Infantino to ‘stop this massacre’.
It’s Likely Here To Stay
The Club World Cup is Infantino’s project. It’s an idea he’s wedded to, and there’s enough money on offer to keep teams coming back, whether that’s Auckland FC getting a one-off payday or Europe’s mega clubs adding yet more millions to their accounts.
Chelsea, for instance, have received a sum in prize money that will cover their financial penalty. City, PSG, and others have more revenue to plough into the transfer market.
The vague concept is understandable. The previous version of the Club World Cup was an afterthought, and its timing was also problematic for some of the teams involved.
The truth is, the club football schedule doesn’t have the space to add a competition of this nature. It will be shoehorned in every four years, but it’s unlikely that the top clubs will take it especially seriously, so viewership numbers are never going to get anywhere near the UEFA Champions League or major international tournaments.
