Which clubs are set to shine at the Club World Cup in the United States? By Mark Gleeson.
The Club World Cup in the United States this month starts what world football’s governing body hope will be a new era for the game.
As custodians of the sport, and the four-yearly World Cup, FIFA have become a billion-dollar behemoth off the spoils of arguably the world’s greatest sporting event.
Since 1930, the World Cup has captivated the globe and every four years attracts billions of viewers to TV screens for a month of nationalistic endeavours as countries battle it out to see who is the best.
But at club level, there is just as lucrative a pot of money … and FIFA have long been trying to eat a slice of that pie too.
Traditionally the club game is the preserve of the continental confederations, but it is only Europe’s UEFA who make really big money… from their Champions League.
The new-look 32-team Club World Cup looks to profit on the back of that, hence heavy European representation at this month’s tournament in the USA.
A dream final for FIFA’s future aspirations would be to have Real Madrid against Manchester City or one of those two European giants up against a Brazilian club like Botafogo, Flamengo or Fluminense.
The timing of the tournament in the off-season also fills a void in the calendar and, in theory, offers the potential for massive television revenue.
But the up take from broadcasters for the Club World Cup was alarmingly slow and FIFA only concluded a deal in December with streaming service DAZN, which then got a major investment from a state-backed sports agency in Saudi Arabia. Fans can watch games for free on DAZN’s website.
Saudi willingness to bankroll the whole venture comes because FIFA have agreed to let them host the 2034 World Cup … without having to go through the usual bidding process, which would point a harsh spotlight on Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.
Money talks even louder in the world game these days, although in Europe there has been resistance to the expanded tournament, mainly in the media.
Any club objections have been quelled by the $1 billion prize money fund. The winner could earn as much as $125 million, and FIFA has allocated $525 million in guaranteed fees for teams, ranging from $38 million to the top-ranked European team to $9 million for each of the four African sides.
For Mamelodi Sundowns, who will be flying the South African flag, this is a considerable addition to their already swelling coffers and offers them further opportunity to continue to dominate the domestic transfer market and hoover up the best players.
A further $475 million will be earned by results in the 63 games, with $2 million paid for winning group stage games, $7.5 million for playing in the round of 16 and $40 million to the team that wins the final at MetLife Stadium near New York on 13 July.
FIFA aims to share $250 million among clubs worldwide who did not qualify for the tournament. But it is not yet clear how many clubs will be paid, or how much they will get.
The $1 billion Club World Cup prize pot is more than double the $440 million FIFA shared among the 32 federations whose teams played at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, further proof of their desire to make this new project work.
The 32 participants for the tournament, which kicks off in Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium with Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami taking on African giants Al Ahly on 14 June, were determined by their performances in their continental Champions Leagues.
The winners of the Champions Leagues, or Copa Libertadores, over the preceding four years all qualified plus the next best performers.
That is how Sundowns, whose only Champions League success came in 2016, made it into the field in a massive fillip for South African football.
But countries were capped at two entries, unless they had three Champions League winners. Salzburg of Austria qualified as the f inal European team, despite never advancing beyond the round of 16, because higher-ranked clubs like Liverpool and Barcelona were blocked by the country cap.
The absence of Barça and Liverpool does detract from the event, especially as the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City have proven unconvincing in domestic competition this season.
But the tournament does have every potential to grow and become a major event. Maybe never as compelling as the World Cup but a major fixture nevertheless.
The audiences in the US should be fulsome, despite high ticket prices, and with no other football on TV this month, viewership numbers convincing too. It is the kind of event that South Africa would have the capacity to host in the future.
THE FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP GROUPS
Group A: Palmeiras (Brazil), Porto (Portugal), Al Ahly (Egypt), Inter Miami (USA)
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain (France), Atlético Madrid (Spain), Botafogo (Brazil), Seattle Sounders (USA)
Group C: Bayern Munich (Germany), Auckland City (New Zealand), Boca Juniors (Argentina), Benfica (Portugal)
Group D: Flamengo (Brazil), Espérance (Tunisia), Chelsea (England), LAFC/ Club América.
Group E: River Plate (Argentina), Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan), Monterrey (Mexico), Inter Milan (Italy)
Group F: Fluminense (Brazil), Borussia Dortmund (Germany), Ulsan HD (South Korea), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
Group G: Manchester City (England), Wydad Casablanca (Morocco), Al Ain (United Arab Emirates), Juventus (Italy)
Group H: Real Madrid (Spain), Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia), Pachuca (Mexico), Red Bull Salzburg (Austria)
