6 months Ago
Huge Stakes in a Star-Studded Tournament
The tourney starts in Miami as Lionel Messi's Inter Miami faces Egypt's Al Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium. It's part of a three-year run of major international football tournaments being held in the U.S., beginning with last year's Copa America and concluding with the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Super clubs from across Europe, including Real Madrid, Manchester City, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain, will be joined by giants from South America, North America and Africa. The champion will receive $40 million, and even group-stage wins are worth $2 million a pop. MLS teams are assured at least $9.5 million, and clubs from South America will collect $15.21 million just for playing.
Among the questions raised by the cancellations were timing and effect on players But even as all the fawning goes on, the timing of the tournament is also bringing also grumbling. Occurring during what is players' "normal" offseason, it cuts into recovery time. A few players, including Messi, are also supposed to play in World Cup qualifiers with their national teams in the weeks immediately preceding the Club World Cup.
Former U.S. coach and FIFA analyst Jürgen Klinsmann responded to these sorts of criticisms – not everyone wants a holiday/excuse to "get away" and the chance to make history and take home significant prize money is not to be underestimated.
The French F.A. president, Noel Le Graet, said those words had "resonated;" his counterpart at FIFA, Arsène Wenger, spoke of a moment akin to the first ever FIFA World Cup, in 1930. "Winning the first proper Club World Cup in 2025 will define a player's legacy," he said.
Looking Ahead to a New Era
The tournament's Group Stage continues through June 26, and then knockout rounds start on June 28. The semifinals (July 8-9) and final (July 13) will take place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which is also scheduled to host the 2026 World Cup Final.
The Club World Cup is a new format and the stakes are high, but FIFA hopes to make the competition a historic annual event, mixing prestige and prize money. Whether it will be accepted by fans, players and clubs is anyone's guess — but everyone will be watching in June.
