FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Reform or exhaustion?

(NLDO) – The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is only about half a year away, but there are still concerns about the possibility of players being exhausted after a long season.

The huge prize fund of up to hundreds of millions of euros, in which the champion alone can receive nearly 100 million euros, is the reason why many teams have changed their views, no longer criticizing but turning to express support for the FIFA Club World Cup, a tournament that can bring huge revenue to the participating parties.

25 year journey

First held a quarter of a century ago, the FIFA Club World Cup was then a football event exclusively for European and South American champions called the Intercontinental Cup (also widely known as the Euro-South American Cup).

In 2005, the Intercontinental Cup was merged with the FIFA Club World Championship, becoming a playground for the champions of seven continents (Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, North-Central America, Oceania) along with the representative team of the host country. Nineteen seasons later, FIFA is determined to change the competition format of the tournament once again, with the goal of turning this playground into a huge source of revenue just like the World Cup for national teams.

Man City are the last Club World Cup champions under the old format

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be the first time the event will feature 32 teams from around the world . The tournament will last for nearly a month, starting on June 15 and ending on July 13 at various locations across the United States. This will also be the start of a new cycle and competition time when the FIFA Club World Cup from 2025 will be held in the summer, instead of taking place at the beginning of the year like the old "versions", and the organization cycle is every 4 years.

Due to the expanded format of the competition with the participation of 32 teams, FIFA decided to award Europe (UEFA) a total of 12 places, including the 4 most recent Champions League champions and 8 other teams determined by the European club rankings in the corresponding 4-year time frame; South America (CONMEBOL) was awarded 6 places, including 4 Libertadores champions and 2 teams according to the club rankings.

FIFA "gives birth" to a brand new tournament in both format and scale

The remaining regions include Asia (AFC), North, Central America & Caribbean (CONCACAF) and Africa (CAF), each with 4 slots, which are the 4 continental champions. Oceania (OFC) only has 1 slot, which is the highest ranked continental champion in the 4-year rankings of this region. The final slot is for the host team, Inter Miami in 2025.

The difference in the number of places to participate is of course related to the difference in level between football regions, especially between Europe, South America and the rest. Fans all want to see Real Madrid, Chelsea, Man City, or at least Palmeiras, Flamengo, Fluminense play more than lesser-known teams in Asia or Africa...

Don't forget that the old version of the FIFA Club World Cup finals were also often a competition between these two footballing powers, with the rest rarely able to get in.

In addition, the expansion of the tournament to 32 teams also comes from the desire to optimize profits in club tournaments. This is further promoted after the unsuccessful idea of ​​a tournament called UEFA Super League by a group of major European clubs. FIFA's creation of a global tournament that promises to bring high profits at the club level promises to extinguish separatist intentions.

Reform or squeeze?

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has repeatedly expressed his desire to organize a world-class tournament at the club level, with all the confidence that the presence of top stars will increase the attraction of the tournament. However, the regulation that teams must use their best forces has created a strong public opinion.

Not only players' associations and national football federations, many coaches and even big teams also openly reacted to FIFA.

12 stadiums in the US will host 2025 FIFA Club World Cup matches

Many top players are concerned about the number of matches they will have to participate in from 2024. Many famous strategists such as Pep Guardiola of Man City or Carlo Ancelotti of Real Madrid have also warned about the huge number of matches that teams will have to participate in.

According to experts, participating in the tournament could completely overload the players when at that time, they have just completed the 2024-2025 season not long ago.

If the players are named in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers (between June 6 and 10), this group will have almost no days off and will have to travel constantly to be in time for the FIFA Club World Cup.

On the other hand, if counting from the 2024-2025 Champions League final on May 31, players participating in the FIFA Club World Cup may have to train, travel and compete continuously until mid-July, when the tournament ends in the US.

FIFA "firefighting"

FIFA decided to allow a "special transfer period" between June 1 and 10 to help teams recruit players to have enough players and the best squad to participate in the tournament.

This would create some special cases, such as players playing for one team in the Champions League final on 31 May, then playing for another team in the FIFA Club World Cup!

FIFA President Gianni Infantino and former player Ronaldo present the championship trophy of the tournament

The team that was given the best conditions to enter the tournament is a given, however, what seems to have calmed down public opinion recently is FIFA's decision to increase the total prize fund of the tournament to hundreds of millions of euros, in which the FIFA Club World Cup champion will receive nearly 100 million euros, equal to the prize money of the UEFA Champions League title.

According to ESPN estimates, each team participating in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will receive 30 million euros. If they win all the group stages, the team's account will increase to 35 million euros.

If they reach the semi-finals, they will get 60 million euros, and if they reach the final, they will get 80 million euros. If they win the championship, the winning team will get around 100 million euros.

Real Madrid is also "attracted" by the huge championship bonus

This prize money is equivalent to the amount of money a top European team can earn if they win the Champions League. The FIFA Club World Cup only lasts for a month, not 8 or 9 months, and does not have as many "hardcore" opponents as the UEFA Champions League.

Therefore, the leaders of two leading football teams, Real Madrid and Man City, have "turned around" and reconsidered the possibility of focusing their efforts on competing for the championship of the world's largest tournament at the club level, which will be held for the first time in the middle of this year.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/fifa-club-world-cup-2025-cai-cach-hay-vat-kiet-suc-196250128154816561.htm