FIFA is facing significant challenges in its efforts to attract broadcasters and sponsors for the newly expanded 32-team Club World Cup, set to take place in the United States in 2025. With just nine months until the tournament begins, the governing body has yet to secure any broadcast deals or formally announce venues, training bases, or sponsors. This lack of clarity has raised concerns among participating clubs and within the broader football community.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has scheduled an emergency briefing with global television executives in an attempt to address these concerns and secure the much-needed commercial deals that will make the tournament viable. As reported by The Athletic, the involvement of Infantino himself indicates the gravity of the situation.
The absence of broadcast deals is a major concern for FIFA as the tournament approaches. Discussions with Apple over a global streaming deal fell through earlier this year, forcing FIFA to open up a tender in July. However, two months later, no deals have been announced. This is particularly troubling for an organisation that relies heavily on broadcasting revenue for its major competitions.
Clubs set to compete in the tournament—including global powerhouses like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea—are also in the dark regarding the participation and prize money that will be on offer. According to The Athletic, “Clubs competing in the 32-team tournament… are yet to be told formally the participation money or prize money that will be available at the competition.” This lack of transparency has left some of Europe’s biggest clubs uncertain about the financial returns they can expect from their involvement. Many had initially budgeted for a windfall in excess of $50 million (£37.6 million), but it is becoming increasingly unclear how FIFA intends to deliver this.
One of the key challenges FIFA faces is the tournament’s timing. The Club World Cup is scheduled to take place from June 15 to July 13, 2025, a period already packed with significant sporting events. The final stages of the tournament will clash with major competitions such as the Women’s European Championships and Wimbledon. Broadcasters are understandably hesitant about committing to a new tournament that may struggle to compete for viewership with these established events.
In addition to timing issues, there are concerns over the audience’s familiarity with the Club World Cup. While the tournament has traditionally been held in a much smaller format, this new 32-team version is a largely untested concept. Moreover, some of the world’s most popular clubs, including Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Barcelona, and AC Milan, have failed to qualify, which may further reduce the tournament’s appeal.
FIFA is also grappling with challenges on the sponsorship front. Sponsors typically rely on key details such as venues and broadcast arrangements before committing to a tournament, yet FIFA has been slow to provide this information. Without venues or broadcasters confirmed, it is difficult for sponsors to gauge the level of exposure they will receive, further complicating FIFA’s efforts to generate commercial interest.
In addition, FIFA’s existing sponsors have expressed reservations about the competition. As reported by The Athletic, some sponsors believe they already hold rights to other FIFA tournaments through their sponsorship of the men’s and women’s World Cups and are reluctant to commit additional funds to a new competition. FIFA, on the other hand, views the Club World Cup as an entirely separate entity and is seeking fresh sponsorship deals.
FIFA’s plans for the new Club World Cup have not only raised commercial concerns but have also led to legal challenges from major player unions in Europe. The English Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA), the Italian players’ union (AIC), and the Union Nationale des Footballeurs Professionnels in France are leading legal action, supported by FIFPro, the global footballers’ union.
These unions argue that the expanded tournament places excessive demands on players, particularly since it extends the football calendar by an additional month. The unions claim that FIFA’s new competition violates players’ rights under EU law, and legal action has already begun in the Brussels Court of Commerce.
While FIFA has declined to issue a formal statement on the matter, a spokesperson has insisted that progress is being made and that further details about the tournament will be shared in due course.
It’s hard not to be sceptical about the direction FIFA is taking with the revamped Club World Cup. The idea of expanding the tournament to 32 teams sounds promising in theory, but the execution so far leaves much to be desired. The fact that there are still no broadcast deals, no confirmed venues, and no clarity around prize money less than a year before the tournament kicks off raises serious questions about whether FIFA can pull this off.
For fans, the timing is another concern. With so many big events already taking place during the summer of 2025, it’s difficult to see how the Club World Cup will fit in. Competing with the Women’s European Championships and Wimbledon for viewers means the tournament risks being overshadowed by other, more established competitions.
Furthermore, the absence of some of Europe’s biggest clubs—like Manchester United, Arsenal, and Liverpool—makes the tournament less appealing to fans who would ordinarily tune in to watch their favourite teams. While the involvement of clubs like Real Madrid and Bayern Munich is exciting, it’s hard to escape the feeling that the tournament is missing some of football’s most iconic names.
At the moment, it seems like FIFA has a long way to go to convince fans, broadcasters, and sponsors that this new Club World Cup is worth their time and money. Let’s hope they can get things in order before June 2025, but for now, many will remain unconvinced.
