Is FIFA President Gianni Infantino in danger of failing with the Club World Cup?

Is FIFA President Gianni Infantino in danger of failing with the Club World Cup?

FIFA wants to generate billions of dollars in revenue with the new Club World Cup. This plan could now collapse. There is a lot at stake for President Infantino.

At the center of the current discussion about the overload of professional footballers is one competition in particular: the FIFA Club World Cup. Since the 2025 tournament is to take place in a new mode with more teams and games, more and more players, coaches and those responsible have recently complained.

The group affected – professionals who are under contract with top international clubs – is small, but the outcry has spread widely throughout the industry. And the strain on the players is far from the only criticism of the Club World Cup.

Fifa is reforming the Club World Cup – that’s new

Until now, the Club World Cup was an intercontinental tournament in which the winners of the most important club competition took part. In Europe, the Champions League winner. Since 2005, the competition has been played in a knockout format. The European and South American teams had already been seeded for the semi-finals. The teams from Africa, Asia, North and Central America joined them in the quarterfinals.

Due to the high level of football, the European team usually won the Club World Cup. In December 2023, for example, the then reigning Champions League winner Manchester City clearly won the final with a 4-0 win against the Brazilian club Fluminense Rio de Janeiro. The tournament hasn’t caused much excitement in recent years.

In Germany and other European countries, the Club World Cup, which previously took place in winter, was never very important. FIFA now wants to change that by expanding the competition to 32 teams and having it take place in the summer. The teams compete against each other in eight groups of four and a subsequent knockout phase – just like in the old World Cup format.

In Europe, the four Champions League winners will qualify for the Club World Cup from 2021 to 2024. Eight more places go to the best teams of the last four years according to UEFA coefficients. This meant that FC Bayern and Borussia Dortmund secured their participation.

The tournament divides the football industry

While the new tournament mode promises more spectacle, the schedules of the top players will become even busier. One less tournament-free summer. At some point the players are “simply broken,” said Toni Kroos recently in his podcast “Einfach mal Luppen” with brother Felix Kroos, and announced that he would boycott the Club World Cup. The ex-Real Madrid professional assumes that both this tournament and the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada will be of poor quality. Because the next World Cup will also be increased – to a total of 48 teams.

Officials like Karl-Heinz Rummenigge counter this and point out that players from top clubs are demanding ever higher salaries. In order to pay for it, you have to offer more games. Rummenigge nevertheless called for the players to be accommodated. It would be good if everyone involved sat down at the table and discussed emotionlessly “which mechanisms we need to bring about more serious and rational times again – including in business,” the 69-year-old told the “Kicker”.

In addition to the debate about the burden, there is also increasing criticism of the organization of the tournament. Some player contracts expire on June 30, 2025, but the Club World Cup will take place in the United States from June 15 to July 13. For example, DFB captain Joshua Kimmich from FC Bayern is affected. In order to avoid contract chaos, a third transfer window is being discussed so that the professionals can continue playing and the clubs can react to departures.

Meanwhile, players’ and club unions are criticizing FIFA for making such decisions about the Club World Cup over their heads. The players’ union Fifpro, which has been complaining about the increasing burden on professional footballers for years, has therefore filed a lawsuit with the EU Commission.

Gianni Infantino is floundering

As next summer’s Club World Cup approaches, many question marks remain surrounding the tournament. The “” reported in April that the tech company Apple was close to securing the broadcasting rights for the Club World Cup – and was prepared to pay a billion US dollars for it. But the TV deal with FIFA fell through. Now the association is apparently planning with various national providers. What these are is still unclear. This could also deter potential sponsors.

Almost eight months remain until the tournament and FIFA has not yet announced any media partners or sponsors. That’s why La Liga boss Javier Tebas recently criticized the Club World Cup and called on Infantino to give up the competition, as “” reported, among others. An unusually clear criticism from an official who acts similarly to Infantino. Tebes made a deal with Saudi Arabia to host the Spanish Super Cup there. And was a supporter of the Super League, which ultimately failed.

The reformed Club World Cup will usher in a “new era for club football around the world,” Infantino said recently. But the 54-year-old is coming under increasing pressure. If the Club World Cup fails, it could be one of the biggest setbacks in his career as FIFA president.

Further sources: “”, , , with DPA

Source: Stern

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