FIFA World Club Cup

[agreenwood]

As cynical as I am about anything to do with FIFA and the fact that there just doesn’t seem to be room in the calendar to hold this regularly, I watched the opening game last night (whilst awaiting my daughters safe return from a night out ). I actually quite enjoyed it.

Despite finishing 0-0 it was refreshingly open for long spells and only poor finishing/good goalkeeping ensured the stalemate.

Might fill a summer void after all.

[jrgbfc]

I can't imagine of the European teams really want to be there. Would have been great if they stuck 2 fingers up at FIFA and either boycotted it or sent their youth team.

[Nonayforever]

They are all being paid millions to essentially play a training session in the sun.

[agreenwood]

I can't imagine of the European teams really want to be there. Would have been great if they stuck 2 fingers up at FIFA and either boycotted it or sent their youth team.

I’m not so sure. Perhaps the players are thinking they’d rather not be there, but the prize money is huge. If a European club wins it they could pocket £97m. Imagine how much that helps them with PSR/FFP. I’m sure the players bonuses from that would be pretty decent too.

It’s also a game changer for the smaller nation clubs. Auckland are part-time and could go home with £3-4m.

[Elizabeth]

If it is played every 4 years I suppose it can be more bearable.

[Rileybobs]

I can’t really see the issue with it. In fact it’s a good idea. Can’t say I’ve got too much interest in it but I will probably tune into some of the latter round matches.

[DCWat]

I can’t really see the issue with it. In fact it’s a good idea. Can’t say I’ve got too much interest in it but I will probably tune into some of the latter round matches.

When is too much football? For me, we are well past that point. Not just from a spectator perspective but from a player perspective too.

As ever, it’s all about money and it seems most of it is coming from Saudi. DAZN spent a billion on the rights, despite apparently airing it for free and themselves having huge debts. Fortunately / coincidentally a billion was forthcoming from Saudi to DAZN.

More self serving murkiness from FIFA.

[BurnleyFC]

It’s better than watching that Baller league shite.

[Rileybobs]

When is too much football? For me, we are well past that point. Not just from a spectator perspective but from a player perspective too.

As ever, it’s all about money and it seems most of it is coming from Saudi. DAZN spent a billion on the rights, despite apparently airing it for free and themselves having huge debts. Fortunately / coincidentally a billion was forthcoming from Saudi to DAZN.

More self serving murkiness from FIFA.

Why is it too much football? We all love football don’t we? A selection of the best 32 club sides in the world having the chance to compete, across continents, every four years. I really don’t see the problem.

[daveisaclaret]

A club world cup in theory should be the absolute pinnacle of the sport, but in practice almost nobody gives a **** about it. I think that should be enough to show you what the problem is.

[kentonclaret]

There’s plenty of summer sport on this week without tuning into football all year round.
5 days of Royal Ascot starting this Tuesday and day one of the First Test against India starts this Friday.

[Rileybobs]

A club world cup in theory should be the absolute pinnacle of the sport, but in practice almost nobody gives a **** about it. I think that should be enough to show you what the problem is.

The interest may be quite small now, but I can see the popularity of this tournament growing.

[Darnhill Claret]

Just hoping to enjoy the football as a neutral.
So emotionally invested in Burnley, this might be a tonic, like most end of season championship competitions usually are.

[Nonayforever]

There’s plenty of summer sport on this week without tuning into football all year round.
5 days of Royal Ascot starting this Tuesday and day one of the First Test against India starts this Friday.

And that's how it should be. As one season closes for one sport another one opens for another.

[jrgbfc]

As soon as this tournament finishes it will basically be time for pre season training. Some lads are basically going to get no break this summer then a long season straight into an expanded World cup next summer. Its just complete overkill.

[jrgbfc]

As soon as this tournament finishes it will basically be time for pre season training. Some lads are basically going to get no break this summer then a long season straight into an expanded World cup next summer. Its just complete overkill for everybody involved, fans included.

[Goliath]

Why is it too much football? We all love football don’t we? A selection of the best 32 club sides in the world having the chance to compete, across continents, every four years. I really don’t see the problem.

Reminds me of that David Mitchell clip.

We should just have 24 hour football with all teams having squads of 150 players each which continuously rotate on a loop across the world. It'd be great, we all love football!

[Rileybobs]

Reminds me of that David Mitchell clip.

We should just have 24 hour football with all teams having squads of 150 players each which continuously rotate on a loop across the world. It'd be great, we all love football!

I think that would be really stupid. Also with 150 players per club the quality of the product would deteriorate quite significantly.

A club World Cup every 4 years is no different to a European Championship or international World Cup every 4 years though. And if there is too much football available for you to watch then you can always exercise self restraint and just not watch it.

[fidelcastro]

I think that would be really stupid. Also with 150 players per club the quality of the product would deteriorate quite significantly.

A club World Cup every 4 years is no different to a European Championship or international World Cup every 4 years though. And if there is too much football available for you to watch then you can always exercise self restraint and just not watch it.

That's exactly what I'm doing, tbf.

I have absolutely no interest in this tournament.

[agreenwood]

The interest may be quite small now, but I can see the popularity of this tournament growing.

Agreed. I think international football appeals to a lot of people. Ultimately if FIFA keep offering up the best part of £100m to the winners (and it’ll probably get bigger) going to be hard for the top clubs to resist taking it seriously.

[Goliath]

I think that would be really stupid. Also with 150 players per club the quality of the product would deteriorate quite significantly.

A club World Cup every 4 years is no different to a European Championship or international World Cup every 4 years though. And if there is too much football available for you to watch then you can always exercise self restraint and just not watch it.

So the quality of the product reduces if we have too much football. You'd think that'd be detrimental to the viewer then

[Rileybobs]

So the quality of the product reduces if we have too much football. You'd think that'd be detrimental to the viewer then

No, the quality of the football reduces if teams have 150 players, as the best teams will have more of the best players.

[Goliath]

No, the quality of the football reduces if teams have 150 players, as the best teams will have more of the best players.

Right...so we don't think the big clubs will carry bigger squads with the extra games and the extra income? Along with stockpiling more young players and buying more clubs so they can get them all games.

Genuinely can't believe you think this competition is a good idea.

[Rileybobs]

Right...so we don't think the big clubs will carry bigger squads with the extra games and the extra income? Along with stockpiling more young players and buying more clubs so they can get them all games.

Genuinely can't believe you think this competition is a good idea.

There’s 32 teams from across the world, and it takes place every four years. I think you need a bit of perspective.

[Goliath]

There’s 32 teams from across the world, and it takes place every four years. I think you need a bit of perspective.

Along with the additional champs league games, extra Ruropean competition in the Conference league. It seems quite clear what they are trying to create.
To me the Premier League felt less important last season, almost an after thought at times. I imagine that will only get worse.

[Vegas Claret]

4-0 Bayern after 21 minutes, embarrassing stuff for the tournament

[Wo Didi]

6-0 at half time.

[taio]

On the face of it, it's good that there's more club football to watch outside the domestic season. But it runs much deeper than that like the even further financial imbalance and disparity it could cause across domestics leagues across the world.

[Vegas Claret]

I mean great for them but for a tournament that is supposed to be taken seriously......

[Goliath]

On the face of it, it's good that there's more club football to watch outside the domestic season. But it runs much deeper than that like the even further financial imbalance and disparity it could cause across domestics leagues across the world.

I think it eventually becomes the priority. This and/or the newly formated Champs league. I could see it eventually leading to a much shorter PL season.

[DAVETHEVICAR]

Have watched the first half and this is my first match
Bayern outclassed Auckland in the 45 minutes
How did Auckland manage to be one of the teams as there is so much money apparently on offer.
Would imagine they will be happy to lose every game by a big margin if they are paid handsomely.

[Hibsclaret]

Embarrassing tbh. I remember a World Cup game in 1982 finishing 10 - 1. This may beat that one. You can’t have pub teams playing in this competition.

[agreenwood]

I mean great for them but for a tournament that is supposed to be taken seriously......

What harm is it doing? The only way small/weaker nations improve is to expose them to better competition and let them share in the prize money, which they can reinvest.

With the £3-4m they receive for being at the tournament, maybe they go full time and come back stronger next time.

It’s not as if there’s no precedent for clubs or countries taking some hammerings on their way to becoming more competitive. When I was a kid England used to hammer countries like Turkey and Portugal.

[Vegas Claret]

What harm is it doing? The only way small/weaker nations improve is to expose them to better competition and let them share in the prize money, which they can reinvest.

With the £3-4m they receive for being at the tournament, maybe they go full time and come back stronger next time.

It’s not as if there’s no precedent for clubs or countries taking some hammerings on their way to becoming more competitive. When I was a kid England used to hammer countries like Turkey and Portugal.

Never suggested it's doing any harm and hopefully Aucklsnd can do something with the money BUT this competition is supposed to be about crowning the best team in the world so it would be helpful if they had competitive teams at the standard required - this is Infantino's attempt at creating a competition to rival the UEFA club products, mainly the Champions League. It isn't supposed to be the FA Cup.

[Rileybobs]

Never suggested it's doing any harm and hopefully Aucklsnd can do something with the money BUT this competition is supposed to be about crowning the best team in the world so it would be helpful if they had competitive teams at the standard required - this is Infantino's attempt at creating a competition to rival the UEFA club products, mainly the Champions League. It isn't supposed to be the FA Cup.

But just like in the World Cup the ‘weaker’ continents are still represented by their best teams.

[agreenwood]

Never suggested it's doing any harm and hopefully Aucklsnd can do something with the money BUT this competition is supposed to be about crowning the best team in the world so it would be helpful if they had competitive teams at the standard required - this is Infantino's attempt at creating a competition to rival the UEFA club products, mainly the Champions League. It isn't supposed to be the FA Cup.

If only the best 32 teams in the world are invited, it’s basically the Champions League plus a few teams from South America.

Infantino’s popularity outside of Europe is based on inclusive projects like this that help distribute the wealth more widely than was the case in the past. He’s not going to exclude an entire confederation because their club football isn’t up to much at the moment.

[boatshed bill]

Mickey Mouse tournament. The top few will make the semi finals look great validating the whole thing.

[Vegas Claret]

But just like in the World Cup the ‘weaker’ continents are still represented by their best teams.

it's not the world cup

[Vegas Claret]

If only the best 32 teams in the world are invited, it’s basically the Champions League plus a few teams from South America.

Infantino’s popularity outside of Europe is based on inclusive projects like this that help distribute the wealth more widely than was the case in the past. He’s not going to exclude an entire confederation because their club football isn’t up to much at the moment.

FIFA promote the tournament as 'the world's best clubs'. There are quite a few that a barely league 2 standard. It'll be interesting to see what the attendances will be like, I'm not sure having it in America was a smart choice tbh.

[Rileybobs]

it's not the world cup

It’s the Club World Cup. The similarities in the format and participants to the World Cup is very clear.

[Vegas Claret]

It’s the Club World Cup. The similarities in the format and participants to the World Cup is very clear.

I suggest you go and read up how a country qualifies for the World Cup, they are nothing alike.

[Rileybobs]

I suggest you go and read up how a country qualifies for the World Cup, they are nothing alike.

I didn’t say the qualification process was alike. The similarity is that, like with the World Cup, the Club World Cup has participants from each confederation. The stronger confederations have more representatives and the weaker confederations have fewer. Naturally, like the World Cup, this doesn’t result in the 32 (or 48) best teams in the world competing.

[Vegas Claret]

PSG v Atletico Madrid next, both picked strong sides

[claret wizard]

Proper World Cup going on in the darts on SKY Action. Wales v Northern Ireland in the final.

[jrgbfc]

FIFA promote the tournament as 'the world's best clubs'. There are quite a few that a barely league 2 standard. It'll be interesting to see what the attendances will be like, I'm not sure having it in America was a smart choice tbh.

Apparently for certain games they've had to heavily reduce/basically try and give tickets away.

[Commy]

Apparently for certain games they've had to heavily reduce/basically try and give tickets away.

They are priced due to demand so the prices have kept reducing. One match started at over $200 and tickets are now $48. I would be waiting until the last minute to buy if I wanted a ticket .

[Vegas Claret]

It'll be interesting to see what the world Cup ticket sales will be like for when it's in the US

[Vegas Claret]

I didn’t say the qualification process was alike. The similarity is that, like with the World Cup, the Club World Cup has participants from each confederation. The stronger confederations have more representatives and the weaker confederations have fewer. Naturally, like the World Cup, this doesn’t result in the 32 (or 48) best teams in the world competing.

The World Cup is never promoted as the best nations in the world, this has been heavily promoted as the best clubs in the world. That's all i'm saying.

[Vegas Claret]

I wonder if we are sending JJ around tonight to collect the money Botofogo owe us for Vitinho

[Vegas Claret]

If you really want to know about this competition....
https://x.com/Adam___Williams/status/19 ... 0715930978