FIFA president Gianni Infantino has called the revamped Club World Cup as a new era for football and compared it to the maiden FIFA World Cup in 1930, Afrosport reports.
The tournament will feature 32 clubs competing in the United States, starting with Al Ahly up against Inter Miami on Saturday night.
Being the first of its kind, Infantino said the tournament is inclusive as it contains teams from six continents as against the 1930 World Cup which majorly had teams ftom Europe and South America.
“It starts a new era of football, a new era of club football. A little bit like when, in 1930, the first World Cup, right, started,” the Swiss said.
“Everyone today speaks about the very first World Cup. That’s why it’s also, this World Cup here is historic.
“We want to be inclusive. We want to give opportunities to clubs from all over the world.
“It’s really to globalise football, to make it truly, truly global. Because when you scratch the surface, we say it’s the number one sport in the world, and it is but then the elite is very concentrated in very few clubs, in very few countries.”
He added: “Countries who would never have a chance to play in a World Cup are suddenly part of a World Cup and they feel to be part of it, the fans of these players and of these clubs.
“A very good friend of mine is George Weah…former legend, great player, Ballon d’Or winner, only African player who ever won the Ballon d’Or, by the way. He never played in a World Cup. He would have been playing in a Club World Cup and made not only his club and also his country proud.”
The most inclusive global club tournament ever.
81 nationalities will be represented at #FIFACWC 2025.
— FIFA Club World Cup (@FIFACWC) June 12, 2025
A prize money pool of $1 billion is on offer at the Club World Cup with the eventual champion taking home a whooping $125 million with an additional $250 million provided as a solitary investment fund for clubs across the globe.
