Has This Club World Cup Format Been A Success?

One of nan astir divisive shot competitions created comes to an extremity connected Sunday pinch nan Club World Cup last betwixt Paris St-Germain and Chelsea.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino said connected nan eve of nan last "we tin opportunity decidedly that this Fifa Club World Cup has been a huge, huge, immense success".

Previously an yearly wintertime tourney for nan six continental champions positive 1 big club, it now takes nan format of nan World Cup, though that excessively is being expanded from 2026 onwards.

Thirty-two teams - immoderate from each continent - will person played 63 games, including nan final, successful nan US complete a month.

Critics person called it an Infantino vanity task and erstwhile Liverpool head Jurgen Klopp referred to it arsenic nan "worst thought ever implemented successful football".

Issues person included sparse crowds for immoderate group games, utmost upwind and subordinate fatigue - and what nan knock-on effects could be.

"It's been a large success. I've been everyplace and it's been a superb tourney to activity connected and to watch here," Michael Brown, who has been covering nan games for broadcasters Dazn, told BBC Sport.

BBC Sport looks astatine what nan liking levels person been for illustration and whether nan tourney successful this format tin beryllium considered a occurrence aliases not.

You tin person your opportunity throughout.

Much has been made of immoderate of nan debased attendances.

Four matches grounded to get 10,000 fans, pinch nan lowest nan 3,412 who watched Mamelodi Sundowns hit Ulsan HD 1-0.

But location person been 15 crowds of 60,000 aliases more, pinch nan highest nan 80,619 who saw PSG hit Atletico Madrid 4-0 successful Pasadena.

Most of nan highest attendances were astatine games involving PSG aliases Real Madrid, and nan mostly of knockout games person been good attended.

The mean attendance of 38,369 is beneath that of immoderate World Cup since Chile 1962.

Reasons fixed for immoderate debased attendances were nan kick-off times (many were successful nan mediate of a weekday), summons prices, upwind and concerns astir Immigration and Customs Enforcement raiding games.

"The decisive mobility is 'do nan fans for illustration it aliases not'?" said erstwhile Arsenal head Arsene Wenger, Fifa's main of world shot development.

"We judge nan attendances were projected arsenic debased and successful reality were overmuch higher. The reply is there."

A move pricing structure, which is communal successful US sports, is being used, wherever nan costs of tickets tin alteration regularly.

Ticket prices for Chelsea's semi-final against Fluminense reportedly dropped from almost £350 to little than £10 successful nan week earlier nan game.

Tickets for nan Blues' quarter-final against Palmeiras ended up astatine £8, pinch fans talking astir having paid much than £250 erstwhile they first went connected sale.

"From nan fans constituent of view, it's been positive," said ex-Premier League midfielder Brown, who has worked connected 10 games involving 12 clubs.

"Everyone I've spoken to thinks it has been an unthinkable tourney and they person had a awesome time.

"It feels for illustration it's raised nan consciousness of shot successful truthful galore countries. The different countries person perfectly loved it and really sewage down their clubs."

The reply to this mobility is yes - helped to a ample grade by nan immense prize money available.

Teams could triumph up to £91m for winning nan tournament, pinch Manchester City pocketing £38m contempt going retired successful nan past 16.

Chelsea person astir apt earned astir £80m for reaching nan final, pinch Joao Pedro repaying complete a 3rd of his transportation interest pinch 2 semi-final goals against Fluminense.

The winners will beryllium allowed to deterioration a badge connected their kit saying they are world champions until nan summertime of 2029, erstwhile nan adjacent tourney is played.

Players of Brazilian clubs celebrated wins and collapsed down pinch defeats each spot arsenic overmuch arsenic immoderate awesome cup.

As nan tourney went on, European teams were wished to triumph it too.

"We had a batch of ambition for this Club World Cup and we wanted to triumph it," said City skipper Bernardo Silva aft losing to Al-Hilal.

Asked if it wounded arsenic overmuch arsenic Champions League elimination, he said: "Yes, a small bit."

Wenger said: "If you make enquiries to each nan clubs who were here, past 100% of answers would beryllium that they would want to do it again.

"That's nan champion reply of what nan clubs deliberation of a Club World Cup."

Purely successful shot terms, nan tourney could beryllium considered a success.

The group stages were a slow burner, pinch mismatched games for illustration Bayern Munich 10-0 Auckland City.

There person been plentifulness of melodramatic games and astonishing scorelines - and an mean of much than 3 goals per game.

Manchester City were knocked retired 4-3 successful other clip by Al-Hilal. Benfica took Chelsea to other clip acknowledgment to a 95th-minute punishment - aft a two-hour upwind hold - earlier nan Blues won 4-1.

Chelsea scored a precocious victor successful nan quarter-final against Palmeiras, pinch Estevao Willian, who joins them aft nan competition, netting against his soon-to-be team-mates.

Lionel Messi scored a free-kick, amateur broadside Auckland City picked up a constituent against Boca Juniors, having mislaid their first 2 games by a full of 16-0, and location person been games pinch scorelines of 4-4, 4-3, 4-2 and 5-2.

PSG, who person been sensational astatine times, hit Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Inter Miami 4-0.

PSG hit Bayern 2-0 contempt having 9 men - and location were 3 stoppage-time goals and a reddish paper arsenic Real hit Borussia Dortmund 3-2.

"We saw a fewer games astatine nan commencement of nan tourney which were a spot of a mismatch, but aft that each nan games person been competitive," said Brown.

"The substance of cultures has been amazing. We've seen immoderate different styles of play but a batch of value everywhere.

"The Brazilian teams successful peculiar contributed to that successful a monolithic way. They group nan modular successful matches, put unit connected European teams and made them respond.

"What we do person to understand is that nan European teams had not deed their stride erstwhile nan tourney started because they'd had a spot of a remainder first [after nan extremity of their home seasons]."

The tourney - inevitably considering nan deficiency of history aliases prestige - has not grabbed nan attraction of each shot fans.

For example, nan BBC Sport unrecorded pages and reports for nan knockout rounds person had betwixt 40% and 50% of nan assemblage they would usually get for nan Champions League equivalent.

But those are still large figures compared to galore lesser followed competitions and sports.

Every lucifer has been disposable to watch for free successful nan UK, pinch each 63 games connected nan Dazn app and Channel 5 showing 23.

Dazn has not replied to requests for nan viewing figures, but Channel 5 said it was happy pinch really galore group person watched nan games it broadcast.

Chelsea v Los Angeles FC was watched by a highest of 1.6 cardinal group successful nan UK. Real's crippled against Al-Hilal was seen by a highest of 1.1 million.

In Saudi Arabia much than 1.5 cardinal group watched their triumph complete Manchester City successful nan past 16 contempt kicking disconnected astatine 4am section time.

"There was not a azygous spot that didn't person nan Al-Hilal crippled on, and everyone was disconnected nan streets and watching it," contented creator Fayad told BBC Sport, speaking astir nan quarter-final nonaccomplishment to Fluminense.

"The freeway was truthful empty. On a Friday nighttime that ne'er happens, not moreover during Ramadan."

Brazilians person arguably bought into nan Club World Cup much than fans from immoderate different nation. All 4 of their teams reached nan knockout stages.

The Copacabana fan-fest hosted astir 100,000 fans crossed nan tournament.

We will not cognize for respective months yet really overmuch of an effect this could have.

Many players progressive person not had immoderate break yet, pinch past play starring consecutive into world fixtures, which led consecutive into nan Club World Cup.

Most teams commencement their 2025-26 run astir a period aft nan Club World Cup ends, pinch nan request to person a break and fresh their pre-season into those 4 weeks.

"I effort not to deliberation astir it, different I will beryllium truthful anxious," Manchester City head Pep Guardiola said, external recently.

"Maybe successful November, December, January, inquire me. I whitethorn opportunity 'So listen, we are a disaster. We are exhausted. The World Cup destroyed us.'

Professional Footballers' Association main executive Maheta Molango told BBC Sport: "It's this emotion of accumulation of competitions that conscionable do not talk to each different and create a almanac that is conscionable nonsensical.

"Let's spot what happens successful October, November - that's erstwhile you're going to commencement seeing because you salary nan price. This Club World Cup gives america a chance to commencement looking astatine nan bigger picture."

For Bayern, nan title posed a much contiguous problem.

Midfielder Jamal Musiala faces a agelong clip retired aft suffering a surgery limb and dislocated ankle aft being caught by Gianluigi Donnarumma during nan conclusion by PSG.

The tourney had a fewer quirks that mightiness beryllium alien to accepted shot fans.

The man of nan lucifer was alternatively called nan superior subordinate of nan match.

The 22 starting players were called retired 1 by 1 connected nan loudspeaker, alternatively of each moving retired together.

American sports announcer Michael Buffer called nan players retired for nan semi-finals.

There were large countdowns to kick-off and euphony played during cooling breaks.

Video adjunct referee (VAR) decisions person been shown successful nan stadium and a 'ref cam' has shown footage from referees' bodycams during nan game.

The last will person a Super Bowl-style half-time show pinch acts selected by Coldplay vocalist Chris Martin, though location was a Linkin Park performance earlier this year's Champions League final.