The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup format change was aggressive. The seven-team yearly tournament is now a 32-team affair to be played every four years, starting with this one. It’s exciting for the fans but many players are less than thrilled with the expansion. Let’s dig into why.
Too. Many. Games.
If you’re a player on a top club, this certainly seems like a big ask. Your domestic league schedule is already 35-40 games. Domestic cups, like the FA Cup and Copa del Rey, add on a few more. Continental cups such as the Champions League keep adding more. You also have myriad club friendlies and international fixtures on the schedule as most players on top clubs play for their country as well.
Now there’s a minimum of three more contests on the schedule. If you make a run to the Final, that’s seven extra games which could potentially push a player on top clubs to 70+ games in a year. It’s an unprecedented amount of football on the schedule, so some of the biggest names in the sport have spoken out.
“We play like already, 60 games in the year…you have so many competitions. And we are happy to play, but when it’s too much, it’s too much.”
“I think we have to respect the health of the players.”
– Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé in an interview with Sky Sports
Mbappé isn’t the only footballer with a household name to come out and criticize the new format. Manchester City star Rodrí, the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, echoed Mbappé’s sentiment. Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker and Tottenham winger Son Heung-Min added similar thoughts in press conferences. Another name on the list of detractors — former Man City superstar Kevin De Bruyne — brings up an interesting conundrum for the players, as well.
The Transfer Problem
June and July are peak transfer months for football. Rumors are flying, clubs are buying and selling left and right, and many players are left in uncertainty. If you’re unsure about where you will be playing next season, the proposition of playing in a tournament that doesn’t have the prestige of the World Cup isn’t enticing.
Take the example of De Bruyne. Per reporting by The Athletic, De Bruyne will “likely” opt out of the tournament due to his contract status. He’s set to leave Manchester City for Italian champions Napoli after his contract expires in June. Here’s the issue, though. His contract expires at the end of the month, while the Club World Cup doesn’t end until mid-July.
So, let’s play the incentives game. Why should De Bruyne risk his health for a club he plans to leave? Prestige? He’s won the Champions League and multiple domestic titles and cups. Money? He has an estimated $165 million in earnings so far in his career, and whatever he could win in the tournament pales in comparison to what Napoli will pay him.
The question of motivation looms largest of all.
Are Players Incentivized Enough?
This is the trickiest question of all. If the money is right then the players will be there, but it’s not right for every player. Our own Griffin Wong outlined here why some MLS players are entirely against the tournament.
For many players, the share of the prize pool isn’t going to be enough. The clubs take a majority of the tournament’s prizes, and the share given to the players is proportional to the size of the club. For example, an MLS player could net about $40,000 from the tournament, while a Real Madrid player could win over $1 million. I’m not here to argue whether or not Real Madrid is worth 25x what an MLS club is worth (because that’s true), but I wonder if the players see this as worth it.
If you already make tens of millions, is another million worth punting your limited vacation time? The same can be said if you make $600,000 and could get another $40,000. When you add in the risk of injury, it becomes a tricky equation. Put it this way… if your boss offered you a 5-10% raise but your vacation time and weekends were gone, would you take it?
This summer’s Club World Cup has the potential to be a make-or-break moment for its relevance. If the players are engaged and giving full effort with high fan engagement, it bodes well for future Club World Cups in the future. However, it could be one-and-done if enough big names opt out and fans maintain just fleeting interest.
