{"id":177712,"date":"2025-07-03T07:54:14","date_gmt":"2025-07-03T07:54:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/177712\/"},"modified":"2025-07-03T07:54:14","modified_gmt":"2025-07-03T07:54:14","slug":"club-world-cup-is-not-a-glorious-new-era-for-football-whatever-gianni-infantino-tries-to-tell-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/177712\/","title":{"rendered":"Club World Cup is not a glorious new era for football, whatever Gianni Infantino tries to tell us"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gianni Infantino has no doubt about it. This Club World Cup, the FIFA president says, represents a \u201cnew era of club football\u201d, a \u201cbig bang\u201d in the history of the world\u2019s biggest sport.<\/p>\n

He has been talking in those terms for a while, banging the drum for the expanded Club World Cup with a fanatical, almost maniacal zeal. The same superlatives appear all over his Instagram account, where he checks in after every game to tell his 3.2million followers of \u201cincredible\u201d drama, \u201cphenomenal\u201d atmospheres and an \u201cepic\u201d tournament, full of \u201cunprecedented moments\u201d, that is \u201ctaking over the United States\u201d.<\/p>\n

It is not easy to share Infantino\u2019s enthusiasm. In fact, at times it has felt far easier to deride it. Where he sees unprecedented moments of incredible drama played out in phenomenal atmospheres, some of us have seen matches of varying quality, some of them embarrassingly one-sided, some ruined by the madness of playing in the stifling afternoon heat, some interrupted for more than an hour by storms, some played in front sparse crowds, others attendances swelled and enlivened only by those supporting Real Madrid or the teams from Brazil, Argentina and Mexico.<\/p>\n

But somewhere in the chasm of perception between Infantino\u2019s bombast and the indifference felt by many football fans, certain things are easier to say. Just as there have been meagre turnouts at some games, there have been big, noisy crowds at others. Just as there have been poor matches, where the quality has been low or totally mismatched, there have been some very good ones \u2014 none better than Al Hilal\u2019s thrilling 4-3 victory over Manchester City<\/a> in Orlando on Monday night while Riyadh and Manchester were sleeping.<\/p>\n

That was the one that prompted Infantino\u2019s boldest \u201cnew era\u201d claim so far. \u201cA game for the ages,\u201d he said on Instagram. \u201cThe emotions and passion on display were something only a global, inclusive competition such as the FIFA Club World Cup can generate.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was, to repeat, a thrilling game, a big moment for Saudi Arabian football and for this tournament. But\u2026 does the most powerful man in world football really believe the emotions witnessed at Camping World Stadium on Monday \u201cwere something only a global, inclusive competition such as the FIFA Club World Cup can generate\u201d? You would suspect not. You would certainly hope not.<\/p>\n

There have been some strong attendances, but nothing like as many as Infantino was suggesting there would be before the tournament. He told a sceptical media audience in Atlanta in April that he had even seen \u201cfriendly games, exhibition games\u201d sell out in American cities in recent years, so he was \u201cnot worried at all to fill a stadium when teams are coming to play a World Cup, to play for (\u2026) something real\u201d.<\/p>\n

He said it would be like staging \u201c14 Super Bowls\u201d in Atlanta \u2014 six at this summer\u2019s Club World Cup and eight at next year\u2019s World Cup. But the city\u2019s five games to date have hosted an average of 38,265, which is not only barely half the capacity of Mercedes-Benz Stadium but also almost 6,000 below Atlanta United\u2019s average attendance in what has been a deeply disappointing MLS season. Atlanta United\u2019s prices are significantly lower of course, but that suggests they know their market rather better than FIFA do.<\/p>\n

The Athletic\u00a0revealed Wednesday night<\/a> that prices for Friday\u2019s quarter-final between Fluminense and Al Hilal in Orlando had been slashed, with Ticketmaster, FIFA\u2019s official ticket-selling partner for the tournament, offering seats for as little as $11.15. (\u00a38.17). It was also offering tickets for Chelsea\u2019s quarter-final against Palmeiras in Philadelphia for as little as $22.30 (\u00a316.34). FIFA has been using a \u201cdynamic\u201d pricing model, but these prices are significantly lower than Ticketmaster was showing for any group stage before the start of the tournament.<\/p>\n

To the vast American sporting public, this strange global tournament is proving a much harder sell than Infantino appeared to expect \u2014 harder than many of those of \u201cfriendly games, exhibition games\u201d Infantino was breezily talking about. Harder, indeed, than a lot of matches in MLS, where there is a more clearly established bond between the fans, the teams and the competition they are watching.<\/p>\n

Football has become obsessed with globalisation, but the sport \u2014 as opposed to the business \u2014 is still fuelled by what happens at a local level. Whether it is in the big leagues of Europe (or indeed the smaller leagues of Europe), the Brazilian Campeonato, Argentina\u2019s Primera Division, the Saudi Pro League, Japan\u2019s J1 League, MLS, Liga MX or anywhere else, so much of what we feel as football supporters is about tradition, about rivalries built upon decades of enmity and shared history, about grudge matches and coveted prizes.<\/p>\n

It can be hard to see where the Club World Cup fits into all that. It is certainly a big thing for Al Hilal and for a group of big-money signings eager to prove they can still perform on a big stage, and the enthusiasm of the South American teams and fans has surprised nobody who knows how much they have relished those clashes with European opposition in previous iterations of this tournaments for many years. But among the European teams there is an air of reservedness \u2014 a sense that, while it would be very nice to be crowned world champions, the players are not going to lose sleep if they don\u2019t (and not many of the fans back home are going to lose sleep to watch a match that kicks off at 9pm EDT).<\/p>\n

It was interesting to hear Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva say on Monday that elimination at the hands of Al Hilal felt \u201ca little bit like going out of the Champions League\u201d \u2014\u00a0interesting that he only said a \u201clittle bit\u201d but, on the other hand, \u201ca little bit\u201d is a lot more than some of the tournament\u2019s detractors might imagine.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Bernardo Silva during City\u2019s shock defeat to Al Hilal (Patr\u00edcia de Melo Moreira\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Both in theory and in practice, though, the idea of a Club World Cup has plenty to recommend it. Not as much as Infantino suggests, but there is a clear value in watching the best teams from the Americas, Africa and Asia doing battle with some of the big beasts from European football. Victories for Brazilian clubs Botafogo, Flamengo and Fluminense over Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Inter, respectively, were thoroughly entertaining, as was a 4-4 draw between Porto and Al Ahly.<\/p>\n

Infantino had already decided it was the greatest development in the game\u2019s history (\u201cincredible\u201c, \u201cunprecedented\u201d, \u201cphenomenal\u201c, \u201cepic\u201d) and was already thinking of expanding it to 48 teams in 2029. If a point even exists at which he would have questioned the validity of the exercise, this tournament has not come within a million miles of it.<\/p>\n

But \u201ca new era of club football\u201d? A \u201cbig bang\u201d? It all makes this sound like a sport that has been in darkness and is about to see the light, rather than one so all-conquering and all-consuming that the only risk to its future is that it might eat itself.<\/p>\n

One of the things Infantino said on the eve of the tournament, addressing an audience in Miami, was that he wants the Club World Cup to lead to \u201cglobalised football, to make it truly, truly global, because when you scratch the surface (\u2026), the elite is very concentrated in very few clubs, in very few countries, and we want to give hope and opportunities to Mamelodi Sundowns from South Africa, Ulsan from (South) Korea, Auckland City\u2026 .\u201d<\/p>\n

The elitism of football. Now you\u2019re talking, Gianni. But isn\u2019t the great contradiction here that this tournament, with a $1billion prize fund to be shared (far from equally) among the entrants, is reinforcing the elitism \u2014 \u201cin very few clubs, in very countries\u201d \u2014 that Infantino talks about? Does it not resemble the Champions League financial distribution model that took hold at UEFA during Infantino\u2019s years there, making the richest clubs richer year after year, widening inequalities both between leagues and within leagues, creating a landscape in which competitive balance has been eroded?<\/p>\n

Palmeiras and Fluminense have earned almost $40m in prize money by reaching quarter-finals. Flamengo and Botafogo earned around two-thirds of that sum by reaching the round of 16. There could be a trickle-down effect through the transfer market, which benefits some other clubs in Brazil and South America, but essentially we are looking at a system \u2014 as has been seen in European football over the past two decades \u2014 that rewards success to such an enormous degree that it almost becomes self-perpetuating, distorting leagues in the process.<\/p>\n

The same applies to the other confederations. Inter Miami have earned $25m by reaching the round of 16. Seattle Sounders earned $9.55m despite losing all three games. Nice for those two clubs, but does it really help MLS clubs compete with the rest of the world<\/a>? Or does it just give these two clubs a big competitive advantage over the domestic rivals (and, in Inter Miami\u2019s case, having been granted a qualifying place by winning the MLS Supporters\u2019 Shield in 2024, a peculiarity that FIFA insists had nothing to do with wanting Lionel Messi at the tournament)?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Messi\u2019s presence was key to promoting the Club World Cup (Andrew J. Clark\/ISI Photos\/ISI Photos via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Infantino talks about driving back against elitism, but the vast majority of that prize money will end up going to the biggest European clubs, who, having already been promised a greater market share of the $425m, represent five of the last eight and, due to the way the knockout bracket has taken shape, are guaranteed at least two semi-finalists and at least one finalist. Does it create a more level playing field if, for example, Real Madrid, PSG, Bayern Munich or Chelsea end up winning the $100m prize?<\/p>\n

Even if Al Hilal were to win it, this is a club whose transfer spend over the past two seasons is north of $500m, more than anyone in world football except for PSG, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. Their spending, along with several other Saudi clubs, is largely financed by the kingdom\u2019s Public Investment Fund \u2014 which was also announced shortly before the tournament as an official partner of the Club World Cup, strengthening the ties between FIFA and Saudi Arabia, already confirmed as hosts of the 2034 World Cup.<\/p>\n

As for the likely future expansion of the tournament, does anyone imagine that adding 16 clubs would mean a greater proportion of clubs from the North and Central American, African, Asian and Oceanian confederations? There has been no Barcelona at this tournament, no Liverpool, no Arsenal, no Manchester United, no Napoli, no Milan. For all the talk of empowering the other confederations, for all that the South American clubs in particular have brought to the party this time, it is pretty obvious where FIFA will see more potential for growth.<\/p>\n

So does this Club World Cup really herald the dawn of a new era in global football? Or does it reinforce all the trends that have taken hold of the game in recent years \u2014 the strength of the \u201csuper clubs\u201d in Europe, the rise of Saudi Arabian influence, the incessant demands on the players, the belief that the only way to improve football is by playing more and more games, more and bigger competitions? Because constant expansion equals more games, which equals more money. And because more money is the name of the game, no matter where that money comes from or what geopolitical strings it comes with.<\/p>\n

What does Al Hilal\u2019s victory over Manchester City represent? That is harder to say, particularly given that Pep Guardiola\u2019s players looked desperate for a summer holiday. But it can hardly be called a shift in the balance of power between European and Asian football, given that City had thrashed last year\u2019s Asian Champions League winners Al Ain, of the United Arab Emirates, 6-0 eight days earlier.<\/p>\n

The rise of football in Saudi Arabia is another matter entirely, driven by the investment that started in earnest with Cristiano Ronaldo\u2019s move to Al Nassr two and a half years ago. Al Hilal, with players like Yassine Bounou, Kalidou Koulibaly, Joao Cancelo, Ruben Neves and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic in their ranks and coached by Simone Inzaghi, looked like a serious team \u2014 something Milinkovic-Savic was particularly keen to spell out to those who had questioned their career choices.<\/p>\n

It was a match that showcased the various merits of the tournament: a richly entertaining, end-to-end encounter, where a big crowd was captivated as an Asian team beat a European team for the first time in the history of the Club World Cup \u2014\u00a0a stat that Infantino would surely love to use, but it would require him to acknowledge that the competition existed previously.<\/p>\n

But Infantino wants us to see this as Year Zero, a \u201cbig bang\u201d that will shape the structure of the football universe for the years to come, \u201cincredible\u201d, \u201cphenomenal\u201d, \u201cepic\u201d. It hasn\u2019t felt like that. Have those fans who have swerved it missed anything unmissable, groundbreaking or indeed epic? Not really.<\/p>\n

The football \u2014 some of it \u2014 has been enjoyable. Well, of course it has; it\u2019s football, after all.<\/p>\n

But the game doesn\u2019t need a \u201cbig bang\u201d. There have been more than enough smaller bangs down the years. For some of us, troubled by this constant drive for expansion \u2014 more, more, more \u2014 there is a persistent concern that the next bang will be the sound of a bubble bursting.<\/p>\n

That hasn\u2019t happened here. The football world isn\u2019t coming to an end because FIFA has held a 32-club tournament in the U.S. at the height of summer.<\/p>\n

But neither has it launched a glorious new era, with more thrilling action, more raw emotion \u2014 or indeed more people in the stands \u2014 than anyone has ever experienced before. More money? Yes, of course, but with it comes the nagging concern about where all of this is taking the game.<\/p>\n

(Top photo: Patricia De Melo Moreira\/AFP\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Gianni Infantino has no doubt about it. This Club World Cup, the FIFA president says, represents a \u201cnew…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":177713,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2026],"tags":[13033,14410,8769,13038,7,13036,16199,7529,3372,13032,18467,13031,3373],"class_list":{"0":"post-177712","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-football","8":"tag-bayern-munich","9":"tag-brazil","10":"tag-chelsea","11":"tag-fifa-club-world-cup","12":"tag-football","13":"tag-inter-miami-cf","14":"tag-international-football","15":"tag-manchester-city","16":"tag-premier-league","17":"tag-real-madrid","18":"tag-saudi-arabia","19":"tag-seattle-sounders-fc","20":"tag-soccer"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/114788228761130247","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177712","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=177712"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177712\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/177713"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=177712"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=177712"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=177712"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}