Must football chase every dollar that floats in on the winds of vague economic interests? And in doing so, can the stirred-up dust blind the very fans it seeks to thrill?
The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 will be held in the United States over the next month, featuring 32 clubs from all six football confederations. Football’s biggest stars – Messi, Mbappé, Vinícius, Haaland, Dembélé, and others – will take the stage. Many are calling it a “crazy summer dance” and the perfect warm-up for the real World Cup, which takes place next year in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
The initiative – driven by Gianni Infantino after his failed attempt to have national teams compete in a World Cup every two years – places financial incentives front and center. Depending on club rankings, a total of €486 million will be distributed, with a €439 million prize pool (for comparison, the current UEFA Champions League budget is €2.43 billion).
Of course, no one entering a market will oppose the creation of new products – in this case, a new tournament. But it’s hard to shake the feeling that this version of the Club World Cup brings more controversy than clarity. The core issues? Scheduling and duration.
Take, for example, the concerns in La Liga over whether Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid can even recover in time for the start of the domestic season. The final of the tournament is on July 13, while La Liga begins August 16. After a grueling, ever-expanding season, experts say players won’t be able to recover and reset in just four weeks. Adjusting the domestic league schedule to accommodate Infantino’s ‛American summer party‛ may become necessary.
It’s worth emphasizing: national leagues and the broadcasting revenues they generate are a financial lifeline for clubs in Europe’s top leagues.
It’s easier to gather money than spectators. Lackluster interest from broadcasters and poor ticket sales for the upcoming tournament are no surprise. True football lovers aren’t seduced by summer showpieces – no matter how big the names are. Fans crave competition, intensity, and drama. Rivalry is the cherry on top – it’s what drives people to the stadiums. Without it, interest vanishes.
Even English football felt the sting this season: viewership drop. Liverpool clinched the title well before the final rounds, while Leicester, Ipswich, and Southampton essentially surrendered early to relegation. The result? Premier League viewership fell 10% on Sky Sports and 17% on TNT Sports compared to last year.
At the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, the maximum earning potential for the winning team is €116 million. A staggering amount – unless you’re talking transfer fees. So, is it worth jeopardizing the following season for that payout?
Jürgen Klopp warned that whoever wins the tournament will be the ‛worst champion ever‛, because they’ll have had to play through the entire summer. Other professionals, while not against new competitions per se, underscore that there’s simply no room left in the calendar.
To clarify: the future of football – especially its European formats – rests on maintaining a balance between the sport’s core values and the corporate logic driving FIFA’s office-born projects. And in those feasibility studies, it’s increasingly hard to spot the ball.
The new Club World Cup is about to begin. Experts have weighed in. Players will be exhausted.
Whether fans will be overwhelmed – or underwhelmed – remains to be seen over the coming month.
Let’s watch and find out.
