“It is billed as FIFA’s new era of club football, a ‘prime club competition’ involving 32 clubs from around the world all descending on the United States from this month to try and win the Club World Cup. Clubs from six federations and 20 nations will be competing in the expanded competition from June 14 to July 13, starting with a group stage then three knockout stages until the final, which will be at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The decision to expand it from seven clubs to a full-blown tournament a year before the 2026 World Cup in the U.S., Canada and Mexico has prompted criticism from the global players’ union, some national associations and some clubs due to the congested fixture calendar. Ticket pricing and the impact on the transfer window have been topics of debate too — players will possibly be changing clubs during the tournament — as has the way qualification was decided. …”
NY Times/The Athletic