Speaking at the "New Trends in Sports" conference organized by Euneiz University in Vitoria-Gasteiz, northern Spain, on 2/7, Tebas argued that the new format of the FIFA Club World Cup is detrimental to the football calendar.
"I will do everything in my power so that the next FIFA Club World Cup does not take place as planned," the La Liga chief emphasized. He also expressed his displeasure with FIFA implementing the new format without consulting other leagues.
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La Liga president Javier Tebas. Photo: AFP |
La Liga president Javier Tebas. Photo: AFP
Under the old format, the FIFA Club World Cup featured 7 teams: the champions of each continental confederation (Europe, South America, Asia, Africa, Oceania, CONCACAF) and a club from the host nation.
Starting this year, the FIFA Club World Cup has expanded to 32 teams. The tournament will take place from 14/6 to 13/7 in the US, using a format similar to the 2022 World Cup. The 32 teams will be divided into 8 groups of 4, playing a round-robin format to determine the two teams from each group that advance to the knockout stage. The tournament boasts a prize fund of USD 1 billion, with the winner potentially taking home USD 125 million.
Tebas argued that the excessive prize money will create financial competition issues for participating clubs compared to other teams. He stressed the impossibility of rescheduling Real Madrid's first round La Liga match for the 2025-2026 season, as they have already qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinals, due to broadcasting rights implications.
"They are asking for more days off, but they earn double the budget of Alaves, and then they ask for more preparation time. We are losing our way," Tebas lamented.
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FIFA president Infantino presents the trophy to the club world champions at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Photo: AP |
FIFA president Infantino presents the trophy to the club world champions at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Photo: AP
Two weeks ago, Tebas also called for the abolishment of the new format and a return to the old FIFA Club World Cup format. "There is no place in football today for this competition," he explained. "There is no need for another tournament to transfer money to the same clubs and players. This model impacts the entire ecosystem of national leagues, especially in Europe, and there is no more money in the world of television rights. We must maintain the current ecosystem and eliminate this tournament. Just keep the FIFA Club World Cup as it was before, when it was played mostly in one week, and that's it."
Jurgen Klopp is another prominent figure who opposes FIFA's format change for the Club World Cup, deeming it the worst idea ever implemented in football. The former German manager argued that the tournament will add further pressure to an already congested schedule and predicted that players could suffer "unprecedented injuries" next season.
Hong Duy (According to Marca, ESPN)
