FIFA's inaugural Club World Cup set to kick off in the US amid challenges
FIFA's billion-dollar gamble to revolutionise club football begins a week on Sunday with plenty of cash up for grabs but questionable enthusiasm as 32 teams prepare to contest the expanded Club World Cup in 12 stadiums across the United States.
The tournament – designed as a glittering showcase ahead of the 2026 World Cup – has had to contend with the prospect of empty seats along with controversial qualification rules and player welfare concerns after an exhausting European season.
Lionel Messi's Inter Miami face Saudi Arabia's Al Ahly in the opening fixture on June 15 at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium, with tickets still widely available days before kickoff.
A glance at FIFA's website shows lots of tickets available, including for the July 13 final at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium.
Messi's presence underscores the tournament's contentious foundations.
Inter Miami gained entry by topping Major League Soccer's regular season standings, despite losing in the first round of the playoffs – a decision critics say shows FIFA's desperation to have the Argentina great at their inaugural showpiece.
FIFA's decision to give the host nation a spot and award it to Inter Miami underlined the opaque nature of the qualifying criteria for the tournament, which won't feature Liverpool, Barcelona or Napoli who have all just been crowned champions of three of the most prestigious leagues in Europe.
Apart from the winners of each confederation's premier club competitions, teams qualified according to a ranking based on their performances over a four-year period.
There is also the case of Club Leon, the 2023 CONCACAF Champions Cup winners, who were excluded from the tournament just over a month ago due to having shared ownership with another qualifier. The spot has gone to MLS's Los Angeles FC.
RIGHTS DEAL
Nailing down a last-gasp $1 billion TV rights deal with sports streaming platform DAZN six months before the tournament means a total of $2 billion in expected revenues.
That led FIFA to announce a total prize pot of $1 billion, with the winning club to receive up to $125 million.
That figure represents 25% more than Paris St Germain earned from their entire 17-match Champions League campaign.
But this largesse has not quelled concerns about player welfare, with the global players union FIFPro taking legal action against FIFA over a tournament that further compresses the precious recovery time between gruelling seasons.
Furthermore there is still concern over the playing surfaces after last season's Copa America, when many headlines focused on the sub-par conditions and smaller pitch dimensions.
Those pitches, measuring 100 by 64 metres, were 740 square metres smaller than FIFA's standard size, prompting widespread discontent among players and coaches.
FIFA has given assurances that this time the NFL stadiums hosting the matches will meet their specifications, confirming that all venues will feature natural grass and adhere to the standard regulation dimensions of 105 by 68 metres.
Divided into eight groups of four teams, top contenders include Real Madrid, winners of six of the last 12 Champions League titles, plus German champions Bayern Munich and 2023 Premier League and Champions League winners Manchester City.
European champions Paris St Germain are the in-form team heading into the tournament after their historic 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan in the Champions League final on Saturday.
But they must survive a tough Group B featuring South American and Brazilian champions Botafogo and 2024 CONCACAF winners Seattle Sounders plus Spanish giants Atletico Madrid.
Whether you call it soccer or football, for FIFA the tournament represents a dress rehearsal and a referendum on America's appetite for the sport and on the world governing body's vision for its commercial future ahead of the 2026 World Cup being co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Kluivert confident Indonesia will edge China in World Cup qualifier
Coach Patrick Kluivert says he is 'very confident' Indonesia will get a positive result against China on Thursday (June 5, 2025) to move closer to a historic World Cup spot. - Photo: AFP JAKARTA: Patrick Kluivert said he is "very confident" Indonesia will get a positive result against China in front of a sell-out crowd in Jakarta on Thursday (June 5) to move closer to a historic World Cup spot. Barcelona and Dutch great Kluivert saw his team thrashed 5-1 by Australia in his first game in March but they recovered to beat Bahrain 1-0 on home soil days later to leave their World Cup hopes in their own hands. "I'm very confident, and counting on my players that they will execute the things that we trained," the coach told reporters Wednesday (June 4) ahead of the clash in Jakarta. Kluivert took his squad to a training camp on the resort island of Bali to prepare for the crucial match. "The things we want to see tomorrow, I saw very clearly. We know the importance of the game," he said. Japan top Asian qualifying Group C and have already punched their ticket to North America in 2026, with Australia in a distant second in the other automatic qualifying place on 13 points. With two rounds of matches to go, Saudi Arabia are third on 10 points, one point ahead of Indonesia in fourth who have won two games and drawn three. Bahrain and China are both on six points. Teams finishing third and fourth will go into another round of qualifying -- Indonesia's most likely route to their first World Cup since gaining independence as a country in 1945. Indonesia has embarked on a recruitment drive of Dutch-born players overseen by coaches from the country's former colonial ruler to bring better results. Around 76,000 are expected to attend Thursday's match at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, with Kluivert hoping the raucous crowd can push his team to victory. "I hope that we can show them a good result," he said. FIFA ranks Indonesia 123rd in the world. - AFP
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Soccer-Hard to celebrate PSG's Champions League win over Italian colleagues, says Donnarumma
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Champions League - Final - Paris St Germain v Inter Milan - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - May 31, 2025 Paris St Germain's Gianluigi Donnarumma celebrates with the trophy after winning the Champions League REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth/File Photo (Reuters) - Gianluigi Donnarumma found it difficult to celebrate Paris St Germain's Champions League win over Inter Milan with so many Italian teammates on the other side, the Italy keeper and captain said on Wednesday. Donnarumma was a spectator for much of Saturday's final in Munich, with PSG strolling to a 5-0 win, and after the final whistle was seen consoling Inter's shell-shocked players. The former AC Milan keeper has now joined up with Inter's Alessandro Bastoni, Federico Dimarco, Nicolo Barella and Davide Frattesi at Italy's training camp ahead of their upcoming World Cup qualifiers and was asked what he said to them. "Nothing. There was a real heartfelt hug with those teammates after the game and I'm happy about that," Donnarumma told reporters. "I also struggled to enjoy the Champions League victory to the fullest because on the other side there were my brothers with whom I share a lot. "Here, we haven't spoken about that match, not even a few jokes. We only spoke about the next two games and giving everything together." Donnarumma, who has one year left on his PSG contract, has been linked with a move to Inter and was again asked about those media reports after his agent was seen at Inter's headquarters on Wednesday morning. "I didn't know he was at Inter, I'm fine in Paris and the club will decide on the renewal or not," Donnarumma said. "I'm ready for anything, but now my first option is Paris because I'm fine, the fans love me and the team loves me. I hope to stay there for many years." Donnarumma has not always convinced Italian fans and media, despite his penalty shootout saves leading to Italy's Euro 2020 triumph, with the keeper often criticised for errors. Now, however, he feels he is in the best form of his career, and a lot of that is down to PSG manager Luis Enrique. "When you return to your own country and you're not welcomed as you deserve, it's not easy," Donnarumma said. "Now I'm happy to have found confidence, balance and mentality. I am happy to have convinced all Italians. "With Luis Enrique I found balance on everything. He gave me a lot especially on a mental level." Italy begin their qualifying campaign in Norway on Friday, before hosting Moldova on Monday, having failed to reach the last two World Cups. (Reporting by Trevor Stynes; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Kluivert confident Indonesia will edge China in World Cup qualifier
JAKARTA: Patrick Kluivert said he is "very confident" Indonesia will get a positive result against China in front of a sell-out crowd in Jakarta tomorrow to move closer to a historic World Cup spot. Barcelona and Dutch great Kluivert saw his team thrashed 5-1 by Australia in his first game in March but they recovered to beat Bahrain 1-0 on home soil days later to leave their World Cup hopes in their own hands. "I'm very confident, and counting on my players that they will execute the things that we trained," the coach told reporters today ahead of the clash in Jakarta. Kluivert took his squad to a training camp on the resort island of Bali to prepare for the crucial match. "The things we want to see tomorrow, I saw very clearly. We know the importance of the game," he said. Japan top Asian qualifying Group C and have already punched their ticket to North America in 2026, with Australia in a distant second in the other automatic qualifying place on 13 points. With two rounds of matches to go, Saudi Arabia are third on 10 points, one point ahead of Indonesia in fourth who have won two games and drawn three. Bahrain and China are both on six points. Teams finishing third and fourth will go into another round of qualifying – Indonesia's most likely route to their first World Cup since gaining independence as a country in 1945. Indonesia has embarked on a recruitment drive of Dutch-born players overseen by coaches from the country's former colonial ruler to bring better results. Around 76,000 are expected to attend tomorrow's match at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, with Kluivert hoping the raucous crowd can push his team to victory. "I hope that we can show them a good result," he said.
