As the expanded FIFA Club World Cup plays out across the U.S., debates continue to rage: Do we really need this tournament? Is it just another fixture squeezed into an already bloated calendar? Is it simply a FIFA cash grab masked as innovation?
These criticisms aren’t without merit. In fact, they’re loud and credible.
Top managers like Jürgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola have repeatedly voiced concerns about fixture congestion and player welfare. Players are already competing in 60+ game seasons, flying across continents for club and country, with little time to rest, recover, or even train properly. Add a month-long tournament in between club seasons, and it’s easy to see why many call it “unnecessary.”
That said, football isn’t just about Europe. It’s a global game. And while the likes of Manchester City and Real Madrid might treat this tournament as a marketing exercise, clubs from Africa, Asia, North America, and Oceania see it very differently.
For many players from smaller leagues, this is the only chance they’ll ever get to face the giants of the game. Most will never play in the UEFA Champions League. They may never stand on the pitch with the likes of Mbappé, Vini Jr., or Jude Bellingham. But here, in the Club World Cup, they can. And they are.
Just ask the players from Al Ahly, Auckland City, Al Hilal, or Leon. For them, the Club World Cup is not just a tournament, it’s validation. It’s the stage they’ve dreamed of since childhood. The floodlights, the big-name opponents, the global audience, this is what they’ve worked their whole lives for.
Also, in football, visibility changes everything. A solid performance against a big team could lead to a transfer, an endorsement deal, or even a national team call-up. The Club World Cup offers this visibility.
It’s not just about glory; it’s about access. While European scouts may rarely visit stadiums in Egypt, Morocco, or Thailand, the Club World Cup brings those players directly to the world’s attention. And in a sport where careers are short and opportunities even shorter, one good game might be all it takes to rewrite someone’s future.
Yes, the criticisms are valid. Fixture congestion is real. Players are human. And yes, FIFA is probably making a lot of money from this.
But it can also be true that this tournament is transformational for those who never had access to the highest levels of football before. And that matters. A lot.
Much like the FIFA World Cup allows countries like Panama or Angola to share the stage with Germany and Brazil, the Club World Cup gives clubs from outside the European elite a rare chance to say: We belong too.
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