Empty stages, incompatible teams: what’s wrong with the FIFA club World Cup? | Football news

When the World Cup of the World of FIFA 2025 opened its doors on Saturday, Lionel Messi, undoubtedly the biggest footballer in the world, woven his magic on the field as a group of old stars – David Beckham, Ronaldo, Kaka, Bebeto, Roberto Baggio and Javier Zanetti – looked at their VIP Rock Stadium seats in Miami.

While Messi could not score goals in Inter Miami 0-0 Draw Against the Egyptian club Al Ahly, football fans presented themselves in thousands to watch the Argentinian directing his team in what could have been a goal for the local team.

The organizers, led by the president of FIFA Gianni Infantinoappeared satisfied with the opening of the tournament and would have hoped for the goals, spectators and popularity to increase as the Club World Cup progressed.

Infantino treated the tournament Like his personal project and aimed to bring the biggest names in football in the United States, one of the co-animators of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Of the last unusual minute addition from Inter Miami of Messi to the main draw, to his attempts to Puris The Superstar of Portugal Cristiano Ronaldo to sign for a participating club and increase the price of the winner of $ 35 million, the leader of the FIFA has removed all the stops to support his great proclamation that the club World Cup is “the beginning of something historic that will change our sport for the best”.

However, three days later, the tournament, presented by FIFA as the most elite world club competition, failed to match the media threw created by the director of sport.

Here’s what’s wrong with the club World Cup so far:

Bad game planning and players

Kick -off program At noon and 3 p.m., local time on hot hot summer days led players to difficult conditions. Some of these teams have completed the complete seasons of the League and Cup competition in their respective countries and confederations.

Others – from the United States, South America and Oceania – have paused on their regular seasons and will return to their respective leagues after the club World Cup.

The tournament was criticized by regional football bodies and players’ unions long before the first kick of the opening match.

“Today’s decision to plan the FIFA club World Cup between June 15 and July 13 without implementing other workload guarantees from players demonstrates a lack of consideration for the mental and physical health of participating players, as well as contempt for their personal and family life,” said players Union FifPro in a press release during the publication of the tournament calendar in 2024.

“Extreme mental and physical pressures at the top of the game are the main concern of players with several club competitions and national teams, resulting in exhaustion, physical injuries, mental health problems, decrease in performance and the risks of career longevity,” added the press release.

FifPro called for taking into account the health and safety regulations of players as an “emergency question”, but that has not dissuaded FIFA from British with the calendar.

Incompatible teams and dead rubbers

Auckland City, a club made up of amateur players with full-time jobs, opened its campaign against six European Champions Bayern Munich and received a kick of 10-0.

The 34 German champions, aligning a full team, scored four goals in the first 21 minutes of the match in front of an unhappy defense of Auckland.

Add the fact that the match seemed more a practical outing than a challenge for the Bundesliga team, Bayern coach Vincent Kompany, saying: “The next match against Boca Juniors will be the culmination of the group phase.”

While the men and favorites are often opposed in world tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup, the champions of Oceania Auckland will also face Argentine Boca Juniors power and the Portuguese side Benfica in an incredibly difficult draw for the New Zealand team.

It seems unfair to the team Classified 4,957th in the world in the OPTA power classification to face the opponents classified sixth (Bayern Munich), 24th (Benfica) and 131st (Boca Juniors).

Empty stages and sales of low tickets

While the Messi-Mania brought the crowd when the tournament was opened in Miami on June 14, and the European champions PSG beat Atletico Madrid in front of 80,000 Los Angeles fans at the famous Rose Bowl a day later, it cannot be said for some lighting devices.

The meeting of Chelsea vs Lafc Monday at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium In Atlanta was played in front of less than a third of the capacity of the stadium.

The team based in the United States is often able to get closer to crowds at full capacity in their place at home in Los Angeles, and Chelsea rarely plays in front of so many empty seats, whether at home or outside.

The striking contrast of the fervent support of the fans of their home from Stamford Bridge in London in London encouraged the director of Chelsea, Enzo Maresca, to say that the atmosphere in Atlanta was “a little strange”.

The place of 71,000 places saw the kick -off match at 3 p.m. taking place in front of 22,137 spectators.

“I think the environment was a bit strange,” said Maresca after the match.

Of the 36 games remaining in a group, 13 will be the afternoon kicks on weekdays and the bottom ticket Sales of the first phase of the tournament could mean that the organizers will find it difficult to fill the sites.

Strict security measures, which include the presence of border patrol officials and passport presentation as proof of identity, can also dissuade fans from walking in the sites.