Advertisement

Why? Why not. The Club World Cup is more than a trial run for FIFA’s marquee event

LAFC players celebrate a goal during a FIFA Club World Cup play-in match against the Club América on May 31.
LAFC players, celebrating a goal during a win over Club America in a Club World Cup play-in match, will open play in the 32-team tournament on Monday against Chelsea in Atlanta.
(Kyusung Gong / Associated Press)

The biggest question surrounding the expanded FIFA Club World Cup is why?

Why do we need this tournament? Why is FIFA adding to an international schedule that was already dangerously overcrowded? And why are they doing it less than a year before the 2026 World Cup?

That last question — why now? — is probably the easiest to answer because the timing of the tournament, which kicks off Saturday with Inter Miami playing Egyptian club Al Ahly in South Florida, has everything to do with next summer. With 32 teams from all six FIFA confederations playing a monthlong tournament at 12 venues across the U.S., the Club World Cup is something of a trial run for the real thing next summer.

Advertisement

The Rose Bowl will play host to six games over 10 days, beginning with Sunday’s match between Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain and Spain’s Atlético Madrid. LAFC, one of three MLS teams in the field, will meet iconic English club Chelsea in its opener Monday in Atlanta.

“From a purely operational point of view, this is a gift,” said Heimo Schirgi, the chief operations officer for the World Cup. “Going into a World Cup without a test event is hard. Everyone is eager to come back after the Club World Cup and say ‘OK, this is what we learned. This is what we need to change. This is what we can keep.’”

The tournament hasn’t started yet and already the learning curve has proved steep. Ticket sales are so sluggish, the Athletic reported, fewer than a third of the 65,326 seats for Saturday’s opening game had been sold less than 10 days before the game. So FIFA began offering students at a local community college four complimentary passes for each $20 ticket purchased. Organizers have also resorted to dynamic pricing for some games while free tickets are being offered for others.

Advertisement

After border patrol announced it will be at the Club World Cup opener in Florida, a FIFA source couldn’t rule out ICE agents working at L.A. games.

FIFA also found that using federal immigration agents to provide security at an international soccer tournament during nationwide protests over immigration roundups was probably not a good idea. After U.S. Customs and Border Protection wrote on social media that it was “suited and booted” to provide security for Club World Games, FIFA called on the agency to take down the post.

CPB is expected to be on site for the opener in South Florida and might work other games as well.

This summer’s tournament was never expected to be a perfect dress rehearsal for next summer because the 2026 World Cup will be the largest and most complex sporting event ever staged, with 48 national teams playing 104 games in 16 cities in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. The Club World Cup by comparison will have 16 fewer teams, 41 fewer games, will be played entirely in the U.S. and will use only five World Cup stadiums.

Advertisement

However the tournament is the largest, richest and most ambitious global club soccer tournament in history, one whose field includes European giants Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, Juventus and Inter Milan as well as teams from five other continents.

That pedigree is part of the answer for why the tournament was created.

As for what the tournament will accomplish on the field, that’s a much more difficult question.

The richest and best soccer leagues in the world are Europe’s “Big Five” — the English Premier League, Germany’s Bundesliga, Italy’s Serie A, Spain’s La Liga and France’s Ligue 1. As a result, the winner of the annual UEFA Champions League tournament, which features the top teams from the Big Five, is generally considered the best club in the world.

Paris Saint-Germain players celebrate with the trophy after defeating Inter Milan for the Champions League title.
(Michael Probst / Associated Press)

The Club World Cup, then, is FIFA’s attempt to wrest back some of that gravitas from UEFA by creating its own club championship.

“This is a serious tournament. This is not a summer friendly,” Schirgi said. “Our sport is a sport where underdogs have a genuine chance. It’s not just the PSGs of the world. Other clubs have a lot to prove.”

Advertisement

This is not the first Club World Cup but it is the first to be played at this size and scale. The tournament debuted in 2000 with eight teams. Since 2005, there were no more than seven entrants, which allowed the annual competition to be held over 10 days during a break in the European season.

Expanding the size of the field made the tournament too unwieldy to be played every year so it’s now planned as an quadrennial event, one that has moved from one city in Saudi Arabia last year to 11 in the U.S. Its also gone from seven matches to 63 and extended from a week and half to a month, with a World Cup format featuring three group-play matches followed by four single-elimination knockout rounds.

While FIFA hasn’t announced plans for the next Club World Cup, the tournament is expected to remain a test run for the regular World Cup, which will be shared by Portugal, Morocco and Spain in 2030.

The new format means the two finalists will play seven times in as few as 25 days. For teams in Africa, Europe and the Middle East, whose players have typically begun a six-week summer break by now, the additional work load will be punishing. Real Madrid has already played 62 games in the last 43 weeks, for example — and that doesn’t include international duty for players such as Kylian Mbappe, who played 13 times for France since last June.

So why play? For starters, the competition is prestigious so winning it would be an accomplishment. As with most things involving FIFA, there’s also a substantial financial component: a $1-billion prize pool, a massive increase from the $16 million paid out during the 2023 Club World Cup.

Wednesday marks one year out from the start of the 2026 World Cup. A look at where preparations stand.

A significant portion of that prize money will go to teams just for showing up, with the amount differing by confederation. LAFC, for example, will get nearly $10 million, according to a club spokesman. That’s more than 30 times what it was paid for winning the MLS Cup in 2022.

Advertisement

However the current labor deal between the league and its players limits the amount players can receive just $1 million per team. MLS, meanwhile, will reportedly earn more than $28 million from its teams’ participation in the tournament. The league and the players association have begun talks on a more equitable split but those negotiations have not gone well.

Teams will earn additional money for advancing in the competition up to a maximum of $125 million for winning the final. That’s slightly more than PSG and Inter Milan made for reaching the Champions League final. Yet given the wear and tear on the players, is it worth it for the clubs? And will it be worth it for FIFA?

When the World Cup comes to North America a year from now, many Club World Cup players will have gone 22 months with a substantial break. That’s likely to have an impact on the quality of play.

“The football calendar is objectively saturated and there is a general lack of balance that affects everyone involved,” said Giuseppe Marotta, chairman and CEO of Inter Milan, which played 59 competitive matches since September. “A serious dialogue is needed between FIFA, UEFA, leagues, clubs and players to redesign an international calendar that protects the health of players and maintains the quality of games.”

Yet despite all that’s at stake, the tournament has generated little more than a collective yawn among fans. Part of the problem is the congested schedule, which is proving just as exhausting for fans as it is for players. In Southern California the Club World Cup games are competing for interest and disposable income with three professional teams and three CONCACAF Gold Cup games, including Saturday’s tournament opener featuring Mexico at SoFi Stadium.

“There’s going to be a lot of clubs here who are not part of the normal,” said LAFC co-president Larry Freedman, who is also co-chair of the Los Angeles World Cup host committee. “But it is a lot.”

Advertisement

In fact it might be too much, which begs a question: why are we doing this?

Advertisement
Advertisement
universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
soxtry.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
maw-pr.com
zaaksen.com
ypxsptbfd7.com
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
onlinenewsofindia.com
worldgraphic-team.com
bnsrz.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
webmanicura.com
osostore.com
softsmob.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
odskc.com
inzziln.info
leaiiln.info
cq-oa.com
dqtianshun.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
bartoysdirect.com
taquerialoscompadresdc.com
aaoodln.info
amcckln.info
drvrnln.info
dwabmln.info
fcsjoln.info
hlonxln.info
kcmeiln.info
kplrrln.info
fatcatoons.com
91guoys.com
signupforfreehosting.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
topsedu.xyz
xmxm7.com
x332.xyz
sportstrainingblog.com
autopartspares.com
readguy.net
soniasegreto.com
bobbygdavis.com
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
qazwsxedcokmijn.com
parabis.net
terriesandelin.com
luxuryhomme.com
studyexpanse.com
ronoom.com
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
snn01.com
hope-kelley.com
bancodeprofissionais.com
zjccp99.com
liturgycreator.com
weedsmj.com
majorelenco.com
colcollect.com
androidnews-jp.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
nova-click.com
abeautifulcrazylife.com
diggmobile.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
sizam-design.com
kakakpintar.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
bamthemes.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com
avgo.top