Morsel of Wheaten Material
The FIFA World Club Cup kicked off with a bang, despite a sluggish ticket sales: The stadium was packed, no protest banners were seen - given it was played in the conservative state of Florida - and a 0:0 draw between Al-Ahly from Cairo and Inter Miami that was quite entertaining. The real highlight of the match was Al-Ahly's passionate performance and their fans, who traveled from Egypt and outnumbered the Inter home crowd in both quantity and volume. This World Cup is definitely a big one for them.
The ongoing criticism that Europe views the Club World Cup as elitist persists: While we grumble about overstrain, commercialism, and dull matches on our end, it's a huge deal for the rest of the world. For many, it's a grand party, a step towards more inclusivity or even a sign of a post-colonial football world.
From Europe's perspective, our view can be both Eurocentric and culturally pessimistic. We observe warily as the focus of the football public gradually moves towards other markets while we dismiss the continental champions from elsewhere as shooting gallery teams. The upcoming duels have the potential to disrupt this arrogance.
In essence, the Club World Cup is indeed a significant advancement towards more inclusivity. It provides a format where clubs from all over the world can compete for substantial money and recognition beyond a friendly kick. There's definitely demand for this. European clubs have to acknowledge the existence of others on the pitch, whom they would otherwise prefer to forget beyond promotional tours. And if teams like Mamelodi Sundowns or Al-Ahly sensationally make it to the semifinals, it could trigger a global enthusiasm similar to Morocco's success at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The tournament also offers the chance to excite a new audience in many African or Asian states, where fans typically prefer to watch the Premier League or La Liga despite their own teams' rich traditions. Mistakes at the Club World Cup could severely damage the image of European men's football. Even global national tournaments with stars of color like Pelé or Maradona served as an empowerment story in many former colonial states from the 1960s onwards. Given the current massive loss of credibility of the so-called West, the stage is set for a sense of renewal.
However, it's also unrealistic and patronizing to say, "Why so grumpy? The nice people from the Global South are so happy about it." Most fans from precarious states uncritically cheer on top football - partly due to a) bigger worries, b) adaptation to their state's worse conditions, and c) football often being the only source of joy in a bleak daily life, with no moral lessons. The criticism from Europe of the Club World Cup - economically and ecologically - is necessary and justified. It is not Eurocentric simply because it doesn't apply elsewhere.
FIFA's tournament is far from genuine redistribution. This is evident in the starting fees: African teams receive $9.55 million, South American teams $15.21 million, and European teams up to $38.19 million. Thus, the gaps between these teams are widening, not narrowing. Moreover, despite a much-hyped solidarity fund, the revenues primarily benefit the wealthy clubs that already dominate, rather than national leagues. Therefore, the Club World Cup is likely to further enrich the super leagues. Its qualification system clearly favors commercially attractive clubs over recent sporting achievements.
The likely outcome: The wealth of a few large clubs will be distributed more globally. That's empowering, but only to a limited extent.
Additional Insights:- FIFA embraced the expansion of the Club World Cup in an effort to reassert its dominance over the global club calendar [1][2].- Players’ unions, notably FIFPRO, have raised concerns about the health and well-being of players due to the increased number of matches they will have to play [2][3].- The selection process for participating teams has been criticized for its arbitrariness, with the inclusion of teams like RB Salzburg and Inter Miami drawing particular ire [2][3].- Despite the financial benefits, the expansion is seen as widening the economic gap between the richest clubs and the rest [2][3].- The expanded Club World Cup is viewed as a direct challenge to the prestige and commercial appeal of the UEFA Champions League [2].
- Europe'sFootball clubs, often dismissive of their counterparts from other continents, might find their Eurocentric attitudes challenged in the upcoming Club World Cup, as teams like Mamelodi Sundowns or Al-Ahly potentially advance to the semifinals, triggering a global enthusiasm akin to Morocco's success at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
- In the ongoing Club World Cup, the European leagues, with their extensive wealth and resources, are at risk of having their dominance threatened by the global scope of the tournament, marked by the participation of clubs from diverse continents, such as Al-Ahly from Africa, further emphasizing the need for inclusivity and recognition beyond European borders.
