The Club World Cup is rewriting the world order.

The first-ever Club World Cup held in the United States is shaking up the power structure of world football.

The Club World Cup has witnessed many pleasant surprises.

European giants stumble, South American clubs rise – and FIFA believes that the old order must change.

When Heimo Schirgi – the former Chief Operating Officer of UEFA – left his powerful position at European football's governing body to join FIFA as the head of the World Cup, he brought with him a bold statement: club football could not remain solely a European playground. While the Champions League is the pinnacle of both professional and commercial success, it remains confined within the borders of 55 countries. The world needed a broader playing field – where clubs from every continent could test their skills in a genuine competition.

The FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ – the tournament that just kicked off in the US – is the first attempt to realize that dream. And after only 34 matches, it has revealed a reality that has startled Europe: dominance is no longer absolute.

Paris Saint-Germain – the reigning European champions – fell to Botafogo, currently ranked 8th in the Brazilian league. Chelsea, a Premier League icon, suffered a crushing defeat against Flamengo. Inter Milan were held to a draw by Monterrey of Mexico, while Real Madrid – a European football giant – shared points with Al Hilal from Saudi Arabia. Atletico Madrid were even eliminated in the group stage.

Atletico Madrid were eliminated early from the Club World Cup.

Of course, European teams can still make a strong comeback and dominate the top four as usual. But the key point is that now, it's no longer a given. And it is this uncertainty that makes the Club World Cup so valuable.

"Football is a sport where the underdog has a real chance," Schirgi emphasized. "It's not just a game of money."

While South American clubs and Monterrey emerged as exciting phenomena, American soccer received a cold shower. Although Inter Miami made an impression with their victory over Porto – the first time an MLS club had beaten a European team – the other two teams, LAFC and Seattle Sounders, were completely outmatched. They were eliminated before the final round of group stage matches. These performances showed that MLS is not yet ready for the big stage.

However, not everything was perfect. This year's Club World Cup faced several significant problems, from high ticket prices and midweek schedules resulting in empty stadiums, to harsh weather conditions. Temperatures reaching over 38 degrees Celsius led to player complaints, discouragement of fans from attending, and forced FIFA to distribute free tickets to fill the stands. On average, each match attracted around 36,000 spectators – but that many seats remained empty. Only one match sold out completely, while the other six failed to reach even 14,100 attendees.

But the biggest problem isn't the weather or the tickets. It's the overloaded schedule. With the Champions League, Europa League, Nations League, Leagues Cup, and now the Club World Cup all vying for spots on the calendar, players are increasingly exhausted. Some have played over 70 matches a year. FIFA chose to "solve" this by cramming the Club World Cup into what would normally be the summer break, and using… a billion dollars in prize money to persuade teams to participate.

Many players are overloaded due to playing continuously.

The FIFPRO players' association warns that this is a dangerous path. Studies show that players need a minimum of four weeks of rest each year to recover physically and mentally. But for FIFA and the major federations, the question of revenue and power seems to be winning.

Giuseppe Marotta, CEO of Inter Milan, admits that the current fixture schedule is "severely overloaded." However, he also sees enormous potential in expanded tournaments like the Club World Cup: more money, more spectators, and more new markets. To solve this problem, Marotta proposes streamlining domestic leagues.

But this is a risky crossroads. Shrinking the leagues means handing more power to FIFA and UEFA, causing football to increasingly lose its roots – from a sport rooted in community, to a globalized game for corporations.

Nevertheless, Heimo Schirgi still believes that the Club World Cup will eventually grow as strong as the Champions League is today. “The Champions League also had humble beginnings,” he said. “Everything takes time to develop. And we are very proud to be contributing to writing history.”

If what the Club World Cup has shown after just the first few rounds is to be taken seriously, then the era in which club football is no longer dominated by Europe has truly begun. And in an increasingly globalized world of football, creating a common stage – where all footballing nations have a chance – is not just a necessity, but a necessity.

Source: https://znews.vn/club-world-cup-dang-viet-lai-trat-tu-the-gioi-post1563563.html