FIFA President Gianni Infantino has launched a robust defense of the newly expanded 32-team Club World Cup, calling it “something special” in response to widespread criticism over low attendance, player workload concerns, and the tournament’s overall relevance. Speaking at the Fanatics Fest event in New York on Saturday, Infantino dismissed detractors and insisted that players are embracing the competition, which he claims will redefine global club football.
The revamped Club World Cup, running from June 14 to July 13 across 11 U.S. cities, marks its first edition in a 32-team format with a staggering $1 billion prize fund. Infantino hailed the tournament as a historic milestone, comparing it to the inaugural 1930 World Cup. “It was about time that somebody invented a World Cup for club teams,” he told Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz at the Javitz Center. “Since 100 years, we know which is the best country in the world, but, until today, we do not really know which is the best team in the world.”
However, the tournament has faced significant backlash. Low ticket sales have resulted in visibly empty stadiums, with Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Los Angeles FC drawing only 22,137 fans in Atlanta’s 71,000-capacity Mercedes-Benz Stadium. FIFA’s aggressive ticketing strategies, including offering free tickets to students, have been criticized as desperate attempts to mask the lack of public interest. La Liga president Javier Tebas has been a vocal critic, branding the tournament “totally absurd” and a threat to the sustainability of domestic leagues due to its impact on already packed schedules.
Player welfare has also been a major point of contention. FIFpro, the global players’ union, has repeatedly warned that the expanded format exacerbates physical demands on footballers stretched by domestic and international commitments. Earlier this year, players even threatened to boycott the competition over workload concerns. Despite these issues, Infantino claimed players are enthusiastic, stating, “It’s beautiful. They love it. Those who are not there, of course, they would love to be there.”
Infantino also positioned the tournament as a cultural shift for football in the United States, suggesting it could inspire young Americans to see football as a path to fame and fortune. “It’s a real World Cup with the best teams and the best players,” he said, emphasizing its potential to reshape perceptions of the sport. Bayern Munich board member Karl-Heinz Rummenigge echoed Infantino’s optimism, calling the tournament a “necessary evolution” and drawing parallels to the revamped UEFA Champions League.
Critics, however, remain unmoved. The Daily Mail labeled the Club World Cup a “grubby, contrived vanity project” that disrupts global football without clear demand. USA Today went further, accusing Infantino of prioritizing cash over the sport’s integrity, noting that broadcasters worldwide showed little interest until Saudi-backed DAZN secured streaming rights for $1 billion. Posts on X have highlighted the tournament’s struggles, with one user noting FIFA’s efforts to shift fans to face TV cameras to hide empty seats.
Despite the criticism, Infantino remains defiant, pointing to matches like Bayern Munich’s clash with Boca Juniors as evidence of the tournament’s quality. He also dismissed concerns about fixture congestion and predicted skeptics would soon embrace the event. “As soon as the ball starts rolling, the whole world will realize what is happening here,” he said earlier this month.