It was supposed to be a great show, but it turned out to be an embarrassment. The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is under fire.

For the first time in this format. The stadiums are empty.

Seeking ways to increase the attractiveness of football, FIFA decided to organize the Club World Championship in a completely new format. Instead of a few matches featuring the winners of the continental Champions League competitions, 32 teams from around the world were invited to participate.

These were divided into eight groups and the tournament format was designed to mimic the FIFA World Cup. The entire event was also well-supported in terms of marketing and finances. However, on the pitch, it turned out that wasn't everything, and in many ways, the FIFA World Cup was a disgrace.

While soccer enjoys significant popularity in the United States, it wasn't enough to fill all venues. Empty seats were visible in many stadiums during matches of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Fans were reluctant to buy tickets for matches against weaker teams or even outsiders from Oceania, Asia, and Africa.

While the stadiums were packed for matches between the strongest teams, the smaller matches played in larger venues proved a flop. Some photos look downright comical.

Large disproportion between teams, matches lasting several hours

In the first round of the Club World Cup group stage, we witnessed a 10-0 scoreline against Bayern Munich, defeating Auckland City by such a large margin. While this result has not been repeated, we have also seen a significant disparity between the teams in many other matches.

This reduces the prestige of the event and makes the matches resemble friendly matches rather than a game for valuable points. On the other hand, this is difficult to avoid, because, as a rule, the World Cup is supposed to feature teams from every corner of the globe.

What else is being criticized? The fact that many matches are interrupted for several hours due to storms passing near the stadiums. Of course, the health of the players is paramount, but organizing such a large football event during a period of increased weather in the United States seems inappropriate. A similar scenario could occur during the 2026 World Cup.

Injuries of world-class stars

This is something every coach wants to avoid. Unfortunately, due to the high intensity of matches and the lack of time to recover from the rigors of the season, the risk of injury increases. Many players have experienced this firsthand.

Bayern Munich's Jamal Musiala suffered a serious leg fracture in the quarterfinals. The German will be sidelined for several months. He also suffered a number of minor injuries caused by the intense intensity of matches.

This is yet another reason why the Club World Cup is under fire. While it offers plenty of excitement, staging a tournament in this format has proven to be an organizational and sporting failure.

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