On Sunday 15 June, FIFA will kick off a new edition of the Club World Cup in the United States, but according to sports economist Thomas Peeters (Erasmus School of Economics) and sports journalist Jaap de Groot, the tournament already looks set to be a failure. During an interview on BNR Nieuwsradio, they criticise the set-up, timing, and underlying motives of FIFA.
'Nobody wants this,' says Peeters. 'With this tournament, FIFA is mainly trying to expand its power within club football and undermine the dominance of UEFA, the umbrella organisation to which almost all professional football associations in Europe are affiliated.' According to him, the world football association is playing a political game, in which associations from non-European countries in particular are appeased. 'In the FIFA structure, these small and distant federations have just as much voting power. By serving them with these kinds of tournaments, FIFA is strengthening its internal power.’
Full calendar, empty stadiums
The timing of the tournament is unfortunate: it coincides with regular MLS matches and the Gold Cup. ‘Three major football competitions are being played simultaneously in the United States on one evening,’ says sports journalist De Groot. ‘The American market is saturated. Ticket sales are poor and sponsors and TV rights sellers also seem to have their doubts.’ Overloading of players also plays a role. National coach of the Dutch national team Ronald Koeman called the tournament “absurd”. De Groot fears that clubs are literally destroying their players. According to him, the financial reward does not outweigh the risks: ‘The winner of this World Cup earns around 110 million euros, while the Champions League generates almost 2.5 billion. This tournament does not come close to that.’
Deeper motivation behind participation
Top clubs are approaching the tournament strategically. Some choose not to participate or send a B-team. According to Associate Professor Peeters, there is a deeper motivation behind participation: ‘Clubs like Real Madrid do not want to damage the relationship with FIFA, partly because they are considering a plan B: their own tournament in Qatar with the support of wealthy parties.’
Power and money
According to Peeters, the choice of host countries such as the US (2025), Canada-Mexico-US (2026) and Saudi Arabia (2034) reflects the changing world of football. ‘FIFA focuses on growth markets outside Europe. That is where the money is, and that will determine the future of football’, says Thomas Peeters.
- Associate professor
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Click here for the full interview with Thomas Peeters on BNR Nieuwsradio, at 16:43:25, on 12 June 2025.
For more information, please contact Ronald de Groot, Media & Public Relations Officer at Erasmus School of Economics: rdegroot@ese.eur.nl, mobile +316 53 641 846.
