The Club World Cup concludes on Sunday. © APA/afp / CHARLY TRIBALLEAU

Club World Cup: Worst idea or a win?

The Club World Cup concludes on Sunday with the final between PSG and Chelsea. What's your take on this new mega-event?

July 12, 2025

From: apa/det

FIFA President Gianni Infantino hailed the controversial, mammoth Club World Cup project as "a triumph, a huge success" during the tournament itself. The 32-team competition in the USA was also considered a test run for the 2026 World Cup finals, which the USA will host jointly with Canada and Mexico – and revealed several problem areas. Heat, pitch quality, strain, and, in some cases, a lack of spectators were passionately criticized.

The criticism came primarily from Europe. But there's another perspective: The rest of the world has never before seen such an intense comparison between top European clubs and their superstars. Matches between teams from different continents certainly provided some variety. The 32 clubs represented 20 different countries. Teams from four continental associations made it to the knockout phase. Al Hilal from Saudi Arabia and Brazilian teams including semi-finalist Fluminense delivered surprises, while their fans made up most of the atmosphere on the pitch.

"The competition is much more exciting than expected. It looks like this is the beginning of something that will never be forgotten," said Arsene Wenger, the former Arsenal manager and now FIFA's Director of Global Football Development. "We hope that the teams that played here go home and say, 'Next time, we know what we need to do to come back stronger,' and that this also contributes to the development of our sport in their countries."

New stage and money rain

It was also a stage for the players. Fans in Europe saw for the first time why Real Madrid paid €39 million to River Plate for 17-year-old Franco Mastantuono. Several European teams used the tournament to test new formations or tactics under competitive conditions.

Goncalo Ramos is in the final with PSG. © APA/afp / PAUL ELLIS

There was also a considerable windfall. Top European clubs received up to $38,2 million in entry fees. A significant bonus was also the $9,55 million each that teams from North and Central America, Oceania, Africa, and Asia received for their participation. FIFA distributed a total of one billion US dollars (€0,85 billion).

Criticisms of stress and heat

But all of this also came at a price. Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola wasn't the only one who feared an increased susceptibility to injury among his players in the coming season. Former Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp called the tournament "the worst idea ever implemented in football." Red Bull's Head of Global Soccer also criticized the additional strain on the players, who were being put under pressure after a long season instead of recovering on vacation.

Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola was not enthusiastic about the World Cup. © APA/afp / GLYN KIRK

Added to this were the high temperatures. Despite temperatures well over 30 degrees Celsius, many matches were scheduled for midday or early afternoon to serve the important European TV market. "It's a great time for European fans, but the teams are suffering," said Luis Enrique, coach of finalist Paris Saint-Germain. "It's too hot. You have to play in different conditions to see a better show."

In nine of the 16 host cities for the 2026 World Cup, conditions are considered "extreme risk" for heat-related illnesses. The negative impact of the heat on the quality of play is undisputed. One approach for next year's World Cup is to lower the threshold for "cooling breaks"—the breaks for players and referees to cool down and drink water. The players' union FIFPRO is also considering extending the halftime break from 15 to 20 minutes.

Tournament in the wrong place?

Along with the heat came thunderstorms. Six matches, or nearly one in ten of the 63 matches, were interrupted for extended periods due to the threat of severe weather. At times, it didn't rain a drop in the largely uncovered US stadiums. The reason for the interruptions is state laws in numerous states that require the evacuation of large events for safety reasons if lightning strikes within an eight-mile (12,88 km) radius. These laws will still apply to the World Cup next year.

The Chelsea vs. Benfica match had to be suspended. © APA/afp / FEDERICO PARRA

Frustration was immense for eventual finalists Chelsea, whose round of 4 match against Benfica Lisbon (1-86 after extra time) was interrupted in the 1th minute with the score at 0-XNUMX. "The USA is not the right place for this competition," said coach Enzo Maresca. There were also complaints about the quality of the pitch. "It's not up to the standard that European clubs are used to," Wenger admitted.

The event also does not go down in history as a crowd puller. Only eleven of the 56 matches in the group stage and the round of 90 were the stadiums filled to more than XNUMX percent, including six times in the football-loving city of Miami, the Guardian 14 matches were attended by fewer than 20.000 spectators. The fact that some tickets were forced to sell at bargain prices did not change Infantino's euphoric statements.