FIFA president Gianni Infantino has boldly labelled the revamped Club World Cup as “the most successful club competition in the world,” despite mounting criticism over the tournament’s format, weather conditions, and poor attendances, MySportDab Reports.
The expanded 32-team edition of the tournament concludes on Sunday, with Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea set to clash in the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
While the competition has drawn backlash from figures such as Jurgen Klopp, who previously called it “the worst idea ever implemented in football,” and players like Jude Bellingham and Enzo Fernandez, who cited challenging weather conditions, Infantino insists the tournament has delivered on all fronts.
Speaking at Trump Tower ahead of the final, Infantino revealed the Club World Cup has generated over $2 billion in revenue and averaged 40,000 spectators per match—figures he claims rival those of top domestic leagues.
“We can say definitely that this FIFA Club World Cup has been a huge, huge, huge success,” said Infantino. “Of course, there are positives and negatives, and we respect everyone’s opinion. But financially and in terms of global reach, it’s been exceptional.”
Despite BBC reports claiming over one million empty seats throughout the tournament, Infantino countered: “We’ve had over 2.5 million fans in total. These are neutral venues, not home stadiums. There’s no league in the world with such numbers, except the Premier League.”
He added: “We earned on average $33 million per match. No other club competition in the world generates that kind of income. The golden era of global club football has started.”
The Club World Cup’s future editions are expected to rotate across continents, with FIFA determined to establish it as a permanent fixture in the global football calendar.
