FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the 32-team Club World Cup will inspire young people around the world and stimulate investment at the club level.
"I was supervising UEFA, where there are many great clubs competing in great competitions and featuring players from all over the world," Infantino explained in an interview with DAZN. "But as a football fan, I saw that other non-European clubs were not finding a real platform for outstanding performance."
He added: "In order to develop club football, which constitutes 80 percent of football worldwide, we need global competition to give opportunities to all clubs that invest heavily in creating and developing talent."
"What we want to achieve is for football to become a truly global sport," he said in statements highlighted on the official FIFA website. "Everyone says it's the number one sport in the world, and it is."
He added, "But the elite are concentrated in a very small number of clubs and in a very small number of countries, and we want to give hope and opportunities to clubs like Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa, Ulsan Hyundai of Korea, and Auckland City of New Zealand."
"We want to make club football global, inspiring many players in their countries and many children who can hope to become heroes known to the whole world. This tournament (the 2025 Club World Cup) represents a positive change in the history of football, and I am convinced that once the ball starts rolling, the whole world will realize that something special is happening."
Infantino also noted that the 32 participating clubs represent 20 countries from all six continental confederations, with players from 81 countries participating. He added, "This means that this tournament provides an opportunity for players who might not otherwise have the opportunity to participate with their national teams in a global tournament, the World Cup."
He also said: "(Liberian) George Weah is the only African player to have won the Golden Ball award, but he has never participated with his country's national team in the World Cup, but he would certainly have participated in the Club World Cup if this tournament had been held during his prime."
“Each match at the Club World Cup will be worth $30 million, out of a total revenue of $2 billion,” Infantino concluded. “I believe there is no other club tournament in the world that generates $30 million per match. However, these revenues will not be at the expense of the fan experience at the Club World Cup, thanks to the historic deal with the world’s leading sports entertainment platform, DAZN, which will broadcast all 63 matches live and for free around the world.”
The Club World Cup will be held in the United States for the first time, with 32 teams participating, from June 14 to July 13.
