Why FIFA Is Betting Big on the Club World Cup
Club World Cup business rationale stands at the heart of this expanded tournament’s creation. FIFA aims to emulate its own Champions League-style product aimed at capturing global TV audiences, attracting massive sponsorship deals, and gaining commercial control while filling the four-year revenue lull between World Cups. It is a commercial strategy designed to make FIFA less dependent on national-team events and competitions.
How the New 32-Team Club World Cup Format Works
Strategically, the expanded 32-team format mirrors the FIFA World Cup. It consists of eight groups of four, followed by the Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, and final. The competition, cutting across 11 U.S. cities, commenced on June 14 and is expected to round up on July 13. The new Club World Cup format includes both continental champions and top-ranked clubs from each confederation. This setup ensures a blend of global representation and high-stakes clashes between elite European and non-European teams.
Ticket Prices, Empty Seats, and 1 Million Fans: What the Early Numbers Say
Authentically, early results have been a mixed bag. Ticket sales underwhelmed at first—final match seats reached $2,200 before FIFA slashed prices due to low demand. Still, attendance has been solid, with over 1.09 million fans across the tournament so far, averaging around 36,500 per match. This suggests that while fans are selective, they’re willing to turn out, especially for matches with stars or prestigious clubs.
Heatwaves, Lightning, and Delays: Inside the Club World Cup’s Logistical Storm
Logistically, hosting 40+ matches in the sweltering U.S. summer has produced significant complications. Some games faced delays or disruptions, most notably the Palmeiras vs Al-Ahly clash at the Metlife Stadium, New Jersey, which was pushed back nearly an hour due to lightning. Similarly, Chelsea FC had to cut short their training session in Philadelphia due to the punishing 37.2°C heat. This has triggered extended hydration breaks, thus, impacting the tempo of several games. These issues continue to disrupt team preparation, strain player fitness, and raise valid questions about the tournament timing with Enzo Maresca, the Chelsea FC Manager, describing the heat as “impossible” to play in.
Who’s Watching? The Truth About Fan Interest in the 2025 Club World Cup
Gradually, fan enthusiasm reveals a fascinating divide, one that mirrors broader questions about the tournament’s identity. While U.S. stadiums have seen respectable turnouts, especially for matches featuring global stars or legacy clubs, the excitement isn’t universal. Packed crowds welcomed Chelsea, Bayern, and Inter Miami, but other matches, particularly those involving lesser-known clubs, struggled to generate the same energy.
Confusion still clouds public understanding of the tournament. Many fans, especially casual ones, still mistake the competition for the old 7-team format held annually. The shift to a 32-team structure, although groundbreaking, wasn’t clearly communicated in advance. As a result, there’s still no unified sense of what’s at stake, how teams qualified, or why the tournament truly matters beyond FIFA’s bottom line.
Star power continues to carry the narrative. Messi’s presence with Inter Miami has kept headlines rolling and driven digital engagement—especially during their dramatic group-stage qualification. Social media buzz peaked during matches involving the Argentine legend, showing that while the tournament itself may not be a household obsession yet, celebrity still sells.
Despite that, global curiosity hasn’t quite converted into sustained engagement. Outside of major footballing nations and hardcore club loyalists, the broader audience remains lukewarm. For many fans, the calendar already feels saturated with international competitions like the Euros and Copa América running concurrently, and the Club World Cup can feel like background noise.
To truly win hearts, FIFA must make the tournament more emotionally resonant. That means investing in storytelling: who these clubs are, what they represent, and why fans should care beyond the result. Until then, the Club World Cup will remain something fans watch out of loyalty or curiosity but not necessarily love.
What Each Team Stands to Earn
FIFA has guaranteed a record $1 billion total prize pool for this inaugural 32-team Club World Cup, split between participation and performance-based rewards.
1. Participation Pillar – $525 Million Total
Every club receives a guaranteed base payment just for qualifying:
| Confederation | Payment per Club |
|---|---|
| Europe | $12.81 M – $38.19 M (based on sporting/commercial ranking) |
| South America | $15.21 M |
| CONCACAF / Asia / Africa | $9.55 M each |
| Oceania | $3.58 M |
2. Performance Pillar – $475 Million Total
Clubs earn incremental bonuses for results and progression:
- Group stage win: $2 M; draw: $1 M
- Round of 16: +$7.5 M
- Quarter-final: +$13.125 M
- Semi-final: +$21 M
- Runner-up: +$30 M
- Winner: +$40 M
A club that wins every single match and lifts the trophy could pocket up to $125 million in performance bonuses alone.
Maximum Earnings per Champion
When participation and performance payouts are combined, a European club could secure $155.8 M total, while a South American champion might reach approximately $140 M . Manchester City has already earned over $50 million, thanks to strong performances and progression, Real Madrid has taken home around €43.1 million from participation and qualification to the Round of 16. Even smaller clubs like Auckland City (from Oceania) have collected approximately $4.58 million, exceeding their typical annual budgets.
Why This Matters
This means that elite clubs can reinvest windfalls into transfers, wages, or infrastructure, non european and mid-tear teams receive transformative funds, which will go a long way in levelling the playing field financially while smaller clubs get to receieve payouts that can surpass their annual operating budgets.
Can FIFA Make the Club World Cup Stick?
Ultimately, the future of the Club World Cup depends on its ability to evolve. Pricing strategies must be refined, scheduling must consider player health, and storytelling must center emerging-market clubs as more than underdog fillers. If FIFA can combine competitive stakes with commercial appeal, this tournament could become a global fixture rather than a one-time spectacle. The potential is massive, but so is the risk of audience fatigue and elite club pushback.
