久久亚洲国产成人影院-久久亚洲国产的中文-久久亚洲国产高清-久久亚洲国产精品-亚洲图片偷拍自拍-亚洲图色视频

Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
Sports
Home / Sports / Soccer

Club World Cup set to kick off amid challenges

A total prize pot of $1 billion available, with the winner awarded $125 million

Updated: 2025-06-09 10:45
Share
Share - WeChat
Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi (C). [Photo/Agencies]

FIFA's billion-dollar gamble to revolutionize club soccer begins a week on Sunday with plenty of cash up for grabs but questionable enthusiasm as 32 teams prepare to contest the expanded Club World Cup in 12 stadiums across the United States.

The tournament — designed as a glittering curtain-raiser for the 2026 World Cup — has had to contend with the prospect of empty seats along with controversial qualification rules and player welfare concerns after an exhausting European season.

Lionel Messi's Inter Miami faces Egypt's Al Ahly in the opening fixture on June 14 in Miami, with tickets still widely available, while FIFA's website shows seats can still be bought for the July 13 final at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium.

FIFA said it was normal policy not to reveal details of ticket sales ahead of a tournament but pointed to the fact that tickets have been sold to fans in more than 130 countries as evidence of the CWC's broad appeal.

Inter Miami controversially gained its slot by topping Major League Soccer's regular season standings, despite then losing in the first round of the playoffs, in a decision critics say showed FIFA's desperation to have the Argentina great at the showpiece.

Inter Miami was thus included as the host nation representative — instead of MLS champion LA Galaxy — with Los Angeles FC and Seattle Sounders making it three US teams after qualifying through their CONCACAF performances.

As well as the winners of each confederation's premier club competition, teams qualified according to a ranking based on their performances over a four-year period.

In another twist that went all the way to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Club Leon, the 2023 CONCACAF Champions Cup winner, was eventually excluded from the tournament due to having shared ownership with another qualifier.

Right deal

Nailing down a last-gasp $1 billion TV rights deal with sports streaming platform DAZN six months before the tournament means a total of $2 billion in expected revenues.

That led FIFA to announce a total prize pot of $1 billion, with the winning club to receive up to $125 million.

FIFA said there is also an unprecedented solidarity investment program with a target of an extra $250 million provided to club soccer across the world and that all revenues from the tournament will be distributed to the club level.

That prize pot might look mouthwatering for club owners but for many players it will feel like a step too far after a long season and the European arm of players' union FIFPro and the European Leagues took legal action against FIFA over the issue.

In response, FIFA said it has "dozens of testimonies from players and coaches positively discussing the tournament" and said it was unfair to blame the CWC for calendar congestion.

"It is a competitive tournament that takes place once every four years with a maximum of seven matches only for the two teams who reach the final," a FIFA spokesman said.

FIFA has also given assurances that NFL stadiums hosting matches will meet their specifications, confirming all venues will feature natural grass and adhere to standard regulation dimensions following sub-par pitches at last season's Copa America.

Top contenders

Divided into eight groups of four teams, top contenders include Real Madrid, winner of six of the last 12 Champions League titles, plus German champion Bayern Munich and 2023 Premier League and Champions League winner Manchester City.

European champion Paris Saint Germain is the in-form team heading into the tournament after its historic 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan in the Champions League final.

But it must survive a tough Group B featuring South American and Brazilian champion Botafogo and 2024 CONCACAF winner Seattle Sounders plus Spanish giant Atletico Madrid.

Whether you call it soccer or football, for FIFA the tournament represents a dress rehearsal and a referendum on America's appetite for the sport and on the world governing body's vision for its commercial future ahead of the 2026 World Cup being co-hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada.

"It will usher in a new era for club football worldwide," FIFA said in a statement. "It will be the greatest, most inclusive and merit-based global club competition in history, bringing together the most successful club sides from every continent to decide the true world champion at club level."

Agencies Via Xinhua

Most Popular

Highlights

What's Hot
Top
BACK TO THE TOP
English
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

Registration Number: 130349
FOLLOW US
主站蜘蛛池模板: 一级做a爰全过程免费视频毛片 | 久久精品国产一区二区三区日韩 | 成年女人免费又黄又爽视频 | 久久久久国产午夜 | 亚洲国产欧洲精品路线久久 | 日韩在线三级视频 | 久久精选视频 | 91精品国产综合久久香蕉 | 国产精品单位女同事在线 | 91久久国产综合精品 | 免费永久观看美女视频网站网址 | 亚洲一区二区中文 | 免费一级特黄欧美大片久久网 | 久久久久久免费一区二区三区 | 一本色道久久88亚洲综合 | 免费视频一区二区 | 亚洲免费人成在线视频观看 | 亚洲欧美二区三区久本道 | 好看欧美视频高清va | 久久久免费视频观看 | 怡红院在线视频全部观看 | 自拍视频在线观看 | 99久久免费午夜国产精品 | 高清日本无a区 | 色偷偷成人网免费视频男人的天堂 | 农村寡妇偷毛片一级 | 国产黄色片在线免费观看 | 久久免费观看视频 | 国产欧美成人一区二区三区 | 亚洲男人a天堂在线2184 | 亚洲欧美另类视频 | 成人午夜视频免费观看 | 亚洲一区二区精品推荐 | 日韩在线免费 | 久久国产精品99久久小说 | 久久精品国内一区二区三区 | 黄页网址免费观看18网站 | 99精品小视频 | 久热精品6 | ffee性xxⅹ另类老妇hd | 国产午夜亚洲精品一区网站 |