No TV interest, no stadiums - FIFA's massive Club World Cup expansion may be falling apart as players threaten to go on strike

With just nine months remaining until the tournament’s scheduled start in June 2025, several critical issues remain unresolved. These challenges have raised questions about the tournament's viability, with concerns over broadcasting rights, venue selection, and player participation putting FIFA in a precarious position.

One of the most pressing concerns is the lack of broadcasting deals. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, FIFA initially entered discussions with Apple to secure a global streaming partnership for the Club World Cup. However, the deal fell through, leaving the organisation scrambling to find alternatives. FIFA launched an international tender in July 2024 to attract broadcast sponsors for both the 2025 and 2029 editions of the tournament. Despite this, no bids were submitted by the recent deadline for several major markets, including the Americas, Asia, the Middle East and the MENA region. In response, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has scheduled an emergency meeting with global television executives to spark interest in broadcasting the tournament. But his efforts have not yet yielded results.

In addition to the broadcasting dilemma, FIFA has encountered difficulties in attracting sponsors for the 2025 tournament. Sponsors, like broadcasters, are hesitant due to the uncertainty surrounding the venues and training bases, which have yet to be announced. Without these critical details, potential sponsors are unable to gauge the level of exposure and value they would receive from the tournament. FIFA is believed to be pinning its hopes on Saudi Arabia as they hope Riyadh will extend its interest in hosting the club competition.

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti stated that the revenue FIFA was offering clubs for the entire tournament was equivalent to what some of these teams earn from a single match.

"One of our games is worth twenty million euros, FIFA wants to give us that amount for the entire tournament", Carlo Ancelotti told Il Giornale in early June. "FIFA can forget about it, players and clubs will not participate in that tournament".

However, the manager later clarified that his remarks were misunderstood. Still, though, the clubs still do not have a definite answer from FIFA as to how the governing body intends to generate sufficient revenue to make the competition attractive.

Adding to FIFA’s woes are mounting legal challenges from several player unions. The English Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), along with its Italian (AIC) and French (UNFP) counterparts, has filed a complaint alleging that the expanded Club World Cup will be pushing the players to their limits. These unions argue that adding a 32-team tournament to the already congested calendar following the 2024-25 season violates players’ rights under European Union labour laws. FIFPro, the global players' union, is supporting this legal action, which is set to proceed in the Brussels Court of Commerce. As the clock ticks toward June 2025, FIFA faces mounting pressure to resolve these critical issues, while there is growing talk of players going on strike if no action is taken to reduce their calendar soon.