FIFA Club World Cup buzz is building as diehard soccer fans take over U.S. cities
MIAMI — FIFA president Gianni Infantino has a vision that in 100 years people will remember this year’s Club World Cup in the United States, and have a centennial celebration for the tournament.
Call him overly optimistic – or even crazy. But he may be onto something.
The opening weekend of Club World Cup 2025 alone saw:
- A sea of Argentineans loudly singing and cheering as they descended in droves on a beach in Miami on Sunday to support Boca Juniors before their first match in the tournament.
- Huge crowds of Brazilian fans supporting Palmeiras, followed by Tunisian fans supporting Espérance, overtaking Times Square in New York City.
- Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain beating Atlético Madrid 4-0 in front of 80,619 fans at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles.
- World Cup champion Lionel Messi of MLS club Inter Miami nearly scoring two goals in the opener Saturday in front of 60,927 fans predominantly wearing red to support Egyptian opponent Al Ahly in Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
“The FIFA Club World Cup is conquering the world, and soccer is conquering America,” Infantino said in a video posted to his Instagram account Sunday. "It is already epic, and will become better and better. Stay tuned.”
One year before World Cup 2026 descends on the U.S, Canada and Mexico, the 2025 Club World Cup has 32 of the best teams in the world competing for a $1 billion prize pool.
It’s taken some time for brand awareness to register – particularly in a host nation where football (not soccer), basketball, hockey and baseball are the predominant sports garnering fan attention.
However, soccer is the prevailing sport above all those worldwide. People from around the globe have arrived in the United States, and are carrying the tournament from a fan perspective.
“There are huge teams coming from all over the world, and that moves a lot of people everywhere. We’re talking about great teams with very important players that people love to watch,” Messi said during an interview with FIFA before the tournament. “So, it’s a great opportunity to watch the best players play out here in the United States, and it’s an amazing opportunity to do this.”
The general public has easy accessibility to games with every Club World Cup match is available to live stream for free on DAZN’s website or app. Outside of downloading an app and registering login information, there’s no need to enter a credit card number – unless you wish to unlock premium features like watching the games in higher definition (1080p instead of 720p).
Watch every FIFA Club World Cup game free on DAZN. Sign up now.
FIFA has also introduced referee cameras, giving fans a never-before-seen view of all the action directly on the field from the referees’ perspective. The videos shared on social media, during the broadcasts and inside the stadiums have been well received.
The elaborate basketball-lineup introductions of players before matches, however, have not because they aren’t typical in soccer matches.
Hey, not everything FIFA is trying out is going to work or be embraced by soccer purists.
The Club World Cup has drawn criticism for being a cash grab – $1.5 billion of FIFA’s $2 billion revenue target has already been grabbed.
DAZN paid $1 billion to broadcast the tournament, and $500 million in marketing rights were already secured before the tournament. The other $500 million, if it reaches that, will come from hospitality rights and ticket sales.
Will there be some empty seats in the stands for some matches? Sure. But it won’t hurt worldwide viewership.
“When it comes to revenues, everything is perfectly secured,” Infantino said before the tournament.
The Club World Cup has also been criticized for overloading the calendar for soccer teams, raising questions about whether the players would compete with the same fervor and energy they do during their regular seasons.
The 32 participating clubs will play three matches minimum – before half are sent home when the knockout stage begins June 28. Only two clubs will play seven total matches when they reach the July 13 final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Although the Club World Cup falls after regular seasons for most of the teams involved, MLS is in the middle of its season.
The Seattle Sounders, one of three MLS clubs in the field, along with Inter Miami and Los Angeles FC, had Brazilian champion Botafogo desperately waiting for the match to end. The Sounders admirably pushed for a draw against one of the best clubs in South America before falling 2-1 on their home turf at Lumen Field in Seattle.
“We show that not only can we compete, not only from an intensity and an athletic standpoint but from a tactical standpoint … that this league is good enough at the world stage,” Seattle’s goal scorer Cristian Roldan said after the loss. "I think that's what this tournament is all about."
LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo said he believes this summer’s Club World Cup and next year’s World Cup will inspire young fans to love the sport – just like watching the 1994 World Cup did for him.
"It had a profound effect in 1994, when I was a kid in the stands at the Rose Bowl, watching games live. It really planted the seed for me that has guided my life since that day,” Cherundolo said during a FIFA interview before LAFC plays English Premier League standout Chelsea on Monday in Atlanta.
“It should have a very profound effect and positive effect on our sport – or the world sport – in our country.”