FIFA’s Club World Cup Could Blow Football Apart
FIFA’s decision to plough forward with plans for an expanded Club World Cup tournament in 2025 are threatening to blow professional football apart.
The governing body has continued to ignore widespread criticism of the competition by issuing rules which will not go down well with clubs or players.
These include ordering clubs to arrive in the United States three to five days before their first game and fielding their strongest team in every fixture.
The move is designed to ensure the Club World Cup complies with football’s integrity laws, many of which are linked to the needs of online football betting platforms.
However, while sports bettors will be delighted that the world’s top stars will be playing in the tournament, there is plenty of resistance to the event from within football.
Players’ unions and league associations have threatened to take action against FIFA in European courts and the ongoing spat could get ugly if it escalates.
The primary concern surrounds increasing demands being placed on players, many of whom have said they are willing to go on strike to force FIFA into backing down.
They include Manchester City star Rodri, who recently said it was feasible that players could down tools. Intriguingly, he was subsequently ruled out for the season after sustaining a serious knee injury.
“I think we are close to that,” Rodri replied, when asked if it is possible players will strike. “If you ask any player, they will say the same. It’s the general opinion of the players.
“If it keeps going this way, there will be a moment where we have no other option, but let’s see. It’s something that worries us because we are the ones who suffer.”
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been forthright in dismissing their concerns, and seems hellbent on forging ahead with a tournament he believes can rival the Champions League.
With the Club World Cup scheduled to be played next summer, players at the top clubs face the prospect of playing without a break until mid-July.
Given that the new season starts in early August, FIFA’s decision to expand the tournament undoubtedly looks questionable. It also raises other concerns.
The tournament will be staged around the June 30 date when player contracts traditionally expire, which has forced FIFA to offer an alternative solution.
This includes having a special transfer window ahead of the tournament, which non-competing clubs believe gives their rivals an advantage in the market.
Under FIFA’s rules, players could effectively play for one club in the Champions League final at the end of May before joining a new team in time for the Club World Cup.
Clubs will also be able to change their squad list in the middle of the tournament, which potentially gives the big guns another unfair advantage.
The entire concept of the Club World Cup appears to be flawed – a point hammered home by Infantino’s decision to award Inter Miami a place in the tournament.
While Miami topped the standings during the regular season in Major League Soccer (MLS), the actual champions have yet to be determined.
The post-season MLS Cup determines which team wins the title, yet Infantino has decided to ignore that set-up in favour of fast-tracking Miami into the tournament.
Infantino described Miami as ‘officially the best team in America this season’, which suggests he does not recognise the validity of the play-off system in the MLS.
The prospect of Argentine legend Lionel Messi featuring next summer was too good to ignore for Infantino, who may have been blinded by dollar signs.
Infantino’s decision adds further fuel to the fire for people who believe the Club World Cup is a waste of time. The next few months will highlight how far clubs and players are willing to push that notion.
