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The Club World Cup is here. But why this format? And why now?

The Club World Cup is here. But why this format? And why now?

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It’s here. The FIFA Club World Cup kicks off this weekend, beginning a month-long tournament that will see 32 of the best teams in world football compete for glory in the USA. But just what makes this competition so unprecedented? Let’s dive a little deeper.

By Zach Lowy

The first-ever iteration of the tournament came in 2000, as eight teams from six different federations vied for silverware in the FIFA Club World Championship; that same year, the Intercontinental Cup was held between the winners of the UEFA Champions League and the Copa Libertadores.

After a brief hiatus due to the collapse of FIFA’s marketing partner International Sport and Leisure (ISL), the tournament returned in 2005, whilst it was renamed the FIFA Club World Cup in 2006 following the merger of the Intercontinental Cup and the Club World Championship. On paper, this summer’s tournament will be the 21st edition of the Club World Cup. In reality, however, there’s about as much similarity between this tournament and the previous format as there is between a Tyrannosaurus rex and a chicken.

“This is the first edition of a true Club World Cup,” stated a football executive who wished to remain anonymous. “FIFA wanted to give chances to non-European teams to play against the elite, allowing them to grow in exposure, experience, and revenue, and ultimately hoping that this sparks investment in their nations’ leagues and teams. At the same time, they wanted to allow elite clubs to have more meaningful matches and reach global audiences. UEFA was a bit reluctant because they feared this new competition could “steal” revenue from the Champions League, but eventually, the pressure from European clubs (led by the European Club Association) was very important for the competition to be approved unanimously.”

The previous edition of the Club World Cup took place in the middle of the season, with 6-7 teams participating. However, fans quickly lost interest in the tournament as the sole European team dominated proceedings: between 2013 and 2023, the UEFA representative won on every single occasion. It became apparent that, in order to transform the tournament from a mere afterthought into the talk of the town, and in order to garner the desired advertising and television revenue, drastic changes were necessary.

In 2016, newly appointed FIFA President Gianni Infantino proposed expanding the tournament to 32 teams from 2019 onwards and moving it to June, after the completion of the club season. FIFA mulled over plans in 2017 to increase the pool to 24 teams and schedule it as a quadrennial tournament, replacing the FIFA Confederations Cup. Similarly to the Confederations Cup, it would be held a year before the World Cup, but unlike the Confederations Cup, it would feature clubs, not national teams.

“FIFA didn’t go for a standard ranking system criterion of qualification to ensure that all the European big guns would participate. Instead, apart from the Champions League winners, they limited the participation of European clubs to two per country, which is why they have outsiders from Europe like Porto, Benfica and Salzburg for the first time. That’s why FIFA is pushing so hard on the narrative of making football truly global. FIFA doesn’t want to bring down Europe, but they do want the gap between European clubs and elsewhere to diminish.”

Initially, the plan was to have each of the UEFA Champions League winners, the UEFA Champions League runners-up, the UEFA Europa League winners, and the Copa Libertadores winners from the previous four seasons, as well as the other teams qualifying from Asia, North America, Africa and Oceania. 24 teams looked set to compete for the ultimate prize in China in 2021, only for the COVID-19 pandemic to put the brakes on the proposal. Instead, on December 16, 2022, FIFA announced that the new Club World Cup would take place in June 2025, with 32 teams competing. Six months later, they confirmed the United States as the hosts for the one-of-a-kind tournament. The previous format, meanwhile, has since been rebranded as the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, with Real Madrid beating Pachuca in the inaugural edition in Qatar.

It has been far from a smooth ride for the new Club World Cup. Last October, the worldwide players’ union FIFPRO and a union representing the 37 European leagues jointly filed an antitrust complaint at the European Commission in Brussels, arguing that FIFA is abusing its powers as both a tournament organiser and regulator. Various other footballers and dignitaries have also criticized the newly expanded competition, which will result in the longest club campaign in history. LaLiga president Javier Tebas even demanded FIFA cancel the tournament, stating, “You know that the leagues and the players’ football unions don’t want that Club World Cup. Withdraw that Club World Cup now.”

Despite these bumps in the road, the FIFA Club World Cup will commence on Saturday as MLS side Inter Miami face off against Egyptian giants Al-Ahly in South Florida. From Lionel Messi to Kylian Mbappé to Erling Haaland, some of the world’s greatest footballers will be fighting for the opportunity to lift the trophy on July 13 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The eventual winner will not only claim $125 million in prize money, but they’ll also have the chance to wear a golden badge on their shirts with “FIFA World Champions” emblazoned upon it. Unlike the previous winners, who would wear the badge for only 12 months, this year’s winners will be able to wear this badge until the next tournament rolls around in 2029.

Which of the 32 teams will come out on top? Stay tuned for what promises to be an intriguing month of football in the United States.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow the every game from the Club World Cup on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

The Club World Cup is here. But why this format? And why now?

It’s here. The FIFA Club World Cup kicks off this weekend, beginning a month-long tournament that will see 32 of the best teams in world football compete for glory in the USA. But just what makes this competition so unprecedented? Let’s dive a little deeper.

By Zach Lowy

The first-ever iteration of the tournament came in 2000, as eight teams from six different federations vied for silverware in the FIFA Club World Championship; that same year, the Intercontinental Cup was held between the winners of the UEFA Champions League and the Copa Libertadores.

After a brief hiatus due to the collapse of FIFA’s marketing partner International Sport and Leisure (ISL), the tournament returned in 2005, whilst it was renamed the FIFA Club World Cup in 2006 following the merger of the Intercontinental Cup and the Club World Championship. On paper, this summer’s tournament will be the 21st edition of the Club World Cup. In reality, however, there’s about as much similarity between this tournament and the previous format as there is between a Tyrannosaurus rex and a chicken.

“This is the first edition of a true Club World Cup,” stated a football executive who wished to remain anonymous. “FIFA wanted to give chances to non-European teams to play against the elite, allowing them to grow in exposure, experience, and revenue, and ultimately hoping that this sparks investment in their nations’ leagues and teams. At the same time, they wanted to allow elite clubs to have more meaningful matches and reach global audiences. UEFA was a bit reluctant because they feared this new competition could “steal” revenue from the Champions League, but eventually, the pressure from European clubs (led by the European Club Association) was very important for the competition to be approved unanimously.”

The previous edition of the Club World Cup took place in the middle of the season, with 6-7 teams participating. However, fans quickly lost interest in the tournament as the sole European team dominated proceedings: between 2013 and 2023, the UEFA representative won on every single occasion. It became apparent that, in order to transform the tournament from a mere afterthought into the talk of the town, and in order to garner the desired advertising and television revenue, drastic changes were necessary.

In 2016, newly appointed FIFA President Gianni Infantino proposed expanding the tournament to 32 teams from 2019 onwards and moving it to June, after the completion of the club season. FIFA mulled over plans in 2017 to increase the pool to 24 teams and schedule it as a quadrennial tournament, replacing the FIFA Confederations Cup. Similarly to the Confederations Cup, it would be held a year before the World Cup, but unlike the Confederations Cup, it would feature clubs, not national teams.

“FIFA didn’t go for a standard ranking system criterion of qualification to ensure that all the European big guns would participate. Instead, apart from the Champions League winners, they limited the participation of European clubs to two per country, which is why they have outsiders from Europe like Porto, Benfica and Salzburg for the first time. That’s why FIFA is pushing so hard on the narrative of making football truly global. FIFA doesn’t want to bring down Europe, but they do want the gap between European clubs and elsewhere to diminish.”

Initially, the plan was to have each of the UEFA Champions League winners, the UEFA Champions League runners-up, the UEFA Europa League winners, and the Copa Libertadores winners from the previous four seasons, as well as the other teams qualifying from Asia, North America, Africa and Oceania. 24 teams looked set to compete for the ultimate prize in China in 2021, only for the COVID-19 pandemic to put the brakes on the proposal. Instead, on December 16, 2022, FIFA announced that the new Club World Cup would take place in June 2025, with 32 teams competing. Six months later, they confirmed the United States as the hosts for the one-of-a-kind tournament. The previous format, meanwhile, has since been rebranded as the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, with Real Madrid beating Pachuca in the inaugural edition in Qatar.

It has been far from a smooth ride for the new Club World Cup. Last October, the worldwide players’ union FIFPRO and a union representing the 37 European leagues jointly filed an antitrust complaint at the European Commission in Brussels, arguing that FIFA is abusing its powers as both a tournament organiser and regulator. Various other footballers and dignitaries have also criticized the newly expanded competition, which will result in the longest club campaign in history. LaLiga president Javier Tebas even demanded FIFA cancel the tournament, stating, “You know that the leagues and the players’ football unions don’t want that Club World Cup. Withdraw that Club World Cup now.”

Despite these bumps in the road, the FIFA Club World Cup will commence on Saturday as MLS side Inter Miami face off against Egyptian giants Al-Ahly in South Florida. From Lionel Messi to Kylian Mbappé to Erling Haaland, some of the world’s greatest footballers will be fighting for the opportunity to lift the trophy on July 13 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The eventual winner will not only claim $125 million in prize money, but they’ll also have the chance to wear a golden badge on their shirts with “FIFA World Champions” emblazoned upon it. Unlike the previous winners, who would wear the badge for only 12 months, this year’s winners will be able to wear this badge until the next tournament rolls around in 2029.

Which of the 32 teams will come out on top? Stay tuned for what promises to be an intriguing month of football in the United States.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow the every game from the Club World Cup on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.