Is the Club World Cup cursed?
A massive soccer tournament starts Saturday. Is it worth watching?
Welcome back to Club Sportico, where we break down the intersection of sports and money—with an extra bit of humor and opinion. Today, we talk the global game (of cash grab).
Here’s a reason to tune into the Club World Cup: you can see what goes wrong next.
“The vibes are off” is an understatement. Snake-bitten only begins to describe the inaugural version of FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s 48-team tournament bringing the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane to America for competitive matches. (A smaller version of the event was previously held annually; this is now a quadrennial bonanza). In some instances, shot itself in the foot might be a more appropriate description. A brief rundown…
Ticket prices for Inter Miami’s kickoff game against Al-Ahly have dropped from $349 back in December to $55 as of Tuesday, according to The Athletic. Resale seats are now available starting at $80.
Seattle Sounders players wore shirts calling the event a “Club World Ca$h Grab” prior to their June 1 match, protesting the fact that MLS players are limited in what they can earn from the competition.
But wait, there’s more.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) posted on Facebook that its agents would be “suited and booted ready to provide security for the first round of games.” Activists said the language implied fans could need proof of citizenship to attend, further reducing demand for tickets. CBP took the post down, reportedly after receiving a request to do so from FIFA.
Meanwhile in Los Angeles, protests against ICE raids and the ensuing crackdown led the Mexican national soccer team to change hotels in LA ahead of their match in the concurrent Gold Cup competition. It remains unclear how active immigration enforcement will be inside and around events. Protests have already spilled over into the stands during some local matches.
Economic uncertainty combined with political controversy has turned what was expected to be a 9% gain in international travel this year into a predicted 9% drop across the U.S., which would further shrink the target audience for tickets and fan activities.
And that’s not all.
There’s the pitches themselves. Following complaints during last year’s Copa América, FIFA is rolling out a newly designed grass topper on fields with artificial turf—such as MetLife Stadium, where the final will be held. Players are already saying it takes some getting used to.
Others are concerned about the mid-summer heat that could come with matches in Charlotte, Orlando and L.A.
Another question mark: will the stars actually show up? FIFA leadership is insistent on calling this a top-flight competition, but big names have hinted otherwise. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was asked in March about the plans for his team during the event. “They told me that the golf courses are really nice,” he responded. More recently, he’s hewed closer to the standard line, saying, “I can assure you, we’re going to give it our best shot. We’re going there to win it.”
Players continue to push back against their modern schedule that includes nearly year-round competition. A global union of footballers sued FIFA in the EU last year, claiming it has abused its powers in introducing the expanded Club World Cup (and expanding the OG World Cup). Any injury this summer will be highly scrutinized.
I could go on.
“The FIFA Club World Cup will usher in a new era for club football worldwide,” FIFA says. To me, it feels more like the culmination of sports’ current build-it-and-see-who-comes mentality, as leagues stuff more and more competitions into their calendars in the hopes of attracting the marginal eyeball.
As The LA Times put it, “The biggest question surrounding the expanded FIFA Club World Cup is why?”
Maybe this will be the event that breaks the fever. Or maybe not.
One of the best things the Club World Cup has going for it is that it’s free to view, via DAZN. And the games are on at noon, 3 p.m, 6 p.m., and 9 p.m. most days for the next two weeks, a reliable go-to for the sports obsessed. There will be upsets, breakout stories, and marquee matches between big teams that only play each other so often.
While you’re tuning in, it may be worth wondering if some greater power has found this latest venture, backed by a $1 billion prize pool (double the 2022 World Cup), improper, unnatural, unholy—and has tried to doom it. But Infantino seems to know we’ll be watching anyway.
Club Sportico is a community organized by Sportico, a digital media company launched in 2020 to cover the business side of sports. You can read breaking news, smart analysis, and in-depth features from Eben, Jacob and their colleagues at Sportico.com, and listen to the Sporticast podcast wherever you get your audio. Contact us at club@sportico.com.