Expect the Club World Cup to serve as an appetizer by the United States before it co-hosts the FIFA World Cup 2026.
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CLUB WORLD CUP SEEN BY US TO HYPE FANS BEFORE FIFA WORLD CUP 2026
Expect the Club World Cup to be used by the US to hype fans before it co-hosts the FIFA World Cup 2026 along with Canada and Mexico.
Furthermore, twelve stadiums will host the matches for this year’s FIFA Club World Cup starting on Sunday.
Moreover, host United States, Reuters reported, fielded Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, which led the Major League Soccer’s regular season standings but were ousted in the first round of the playoffs.
Critics have described the move as FIFA’s desperate ploy to feature the Argentinian football great in the inaugural showpiece that has struggled to lure fans at the stadiums.
Messi and Inter Miami open their Club World Cup campaign against Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahly at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium on June 15.
US GRAPPLES WITH FAN INTEREST A YEAR BEFORE FIFA WORLD CUP 2026
The US grapples with waning fan interest in club football a year before the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Moreover, several tickets are still available for the Inter Miami-Al Ahly match several days left before the actual match.
Furthermore, the July 13 final at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey still shows several tickets available, according to the FIFA website.
Additionally, the tournament offers a USD125 million cash prize to the winning club out of the total prize pot of USD1 billion.
Organizers secured a USD1-billion TV rights deal with sports streaming platform DAZN just six months before the tournament opens, leading to USD2 billion in expected revenues.
LIVERPOOL, BARCELONA, NAPOLI OUT OF CLUB WORLD CUP AMID TIRING EUROPEAN SEASON
Liverpool, Barcelona, or Napoli, which were crowned champions in three of the most prestigious leagues in Europe, were not listed from the Club World Cup entries.
Furthermore, Club Leon, which were named 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup winners, was also left out since they shared ownership with another qualifier.
Moreover, MLS’ Los Angeles FC took over Club Leon’s spot.
Meanwhile, global players union FIFPro took legal action against FIFA over a tournament that compresses recovery time for players who took part in the recently concluded European season.
FIFA also vowed to comply with the standard size of pitches and playing surfaces that earned criticism among players after last season’s Copa America in the US.
