The Club World Cup: Is a Global Super League Already Here?

by Sam Waller

There has been an ongoing battle amongst football’s governing bodies, UEFA and FIFA, in recent years to generate ever more money out of football. UEFA have dominated club football with the Champions League, a yearly competition with huge names, rewards and legendary status. FIFA have dominated the international football scene with the World Cup, but this is only on a four-year basis.

Cast your minds back to April 2021, and you may remember the failed attempt at the creation of a European Super League proposed by European giants Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus (the A22 Sports Management group). The initial plan collapsed within 48 hours of its announcement, following widespread resentment amongst other teams. Plans proposed in 2021 would have included a 20-team league, with 15 of those teams that would be permanently part of the Super League.

Fast forward to 2025, and we are nearing the start of the new reformatted and rebranded FIFA Club World Cup, which coincidentally includes Real Madrid, Juventus, Athletico Madrid, Inter Milan, and Chelsea (all teams who would have been original members of the former proposed European Super League) and significantly more European teams than from other continents.

The Club World Cup this summer has been a huge move from FIFA. Is this FIFA’s alternative to the failed European Super League proposal? Has Florentino Pérez, the Real Madrid president, found a way to sneak his team into a competition amongst some of the world's best teams, which includes a whopping 125 million US Dollars for the winners?

Florentino Perez presenting his European Super League proposal (April 2021).

The rebranding of the Club World Cup by FIFA could be seen as a potential threat to UEFA and the Champions League. This new format isn’t just about inclusion and creating a yearly competition for FIFA; it’s a calculated move, possibly influenced by Real Madrid and Juventus. By increasing the teams, increasing the prize money and placing the tournament in the US, FIFA is targeting growing markets and broadcasters. FIFA have already handed David Beckham's Inter Miami a back-door invite to the competition, ensuring more viewership with the likes of Messi, Suarez and Busquets, helping to create a global business plan and a sign of commercial motives.

UEFA has every reason to be wary. They have managed to block the European Super League, but here is a similar concept that is going to happen this summer, with some global clubs also included. However, there is a difference this time around; there’s less outrage because it has been evolved around an already existing competition that has never truly been taken seriously and has global inclusion and a World Cup-style feel. Yes, the Champions League will continue to dominate in terms of quality and numbers, but the question is, how much will it be affected?

Will the FIFA Club World Cup evolve into a true rival, or is this the beginning of something bigger for FIFA, such as a global super league that could change the balance of power in club football?

There have been numerous players and teams complaining about the number of games players are expected to play and the number of injuries occurring because of this. So why has this competition got such a positive aura compared to the failed European Super League?

Firstly, it doesn’t affect teams negatively that are not taking part in the competition due to it being played in the summer break.

Secondly, the new Club World Cup has a simple but powerful motivator: money. £407 million will be shared between all 32 teams purely for being involved, and those who go on to lift the trophy gain £97 million. To put this into perspective, if Manchester City were to win the FA Cup this season, they would “only” receive £2 million. The Club World Cup is no longer just a trophy to add to the cabinet. It’s a financial jackpot, especially for clubs navigating the tight regulations of modern football finance, like the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR). Also, this competition is global; it doesn’t just benefit the European Clubs, but those from all continents can get a piece of the money-driven tournament. Teams like Esperance de Tunis, Al Ain FC, or Mamelodi Sundowns don’t often get a global stage, let alone one with multi-million-pound rewards.

Third and finally, this competition will bring a World Cup buzz, with fan cultures from across continents coming together to support their teams. Any fixture of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will offer a symphony of colliding football cultures. Whether that’s samba drums from the Flamengo fans, choreographed chants from the Japanese ultras, to the echoes of vuvuzelas from passionate South Africans. Yes, the European giants and favourites to win may bring the biggest stars, but it’s the supporters from the so-called ‘’smaller’’ clubs who are likely to bring the most colour, noise and chaos! Take Esperance de Tunis for example. A fanbase that is legendary for creating a festival-like atmosphere, with smoke, drumming and bouncing stands that sing throughout the 90 minutes.

Esperance de Tunis fans.

Or look at Argentina's River Plate: loud, loyal and proud of the club's and country's football history with large mosaics and striking fireworks. Compare this to the Urawa Red Diamond Ultras of Japan, known for their discipline and unity no matter the occasion, who turn entire sections of stadiums into a sea of red and white.

If planned and controlled well by FIFA, this competition could be something special, more so than that of the European Super League. Yes, the football may not be of quite a high standard, but special moments amongst cultures mixing noise, colours and emotion could transform the tournament into something unique and more appealing to fans to attend in the future.

River Plate fans.

Urawa Red Diamond fans.

Is this a future celebration of global football that unites the beautiful game for good, or is it just another playground for the rich clubs to get richer and help them get around financial rules?