Club World Cup: A Test for the U.S.

Joshua Crawley, section editor

The Club World Cup tested teams, but it also tested the U.S. and its readiness to host major global tournaments. The tournament this past summer was supposed to be one of a kind. In the past, the tournament only featured “the best” team from each continent creating, a small seven team competition that many people didn’t even know was happening. This time though, the tournament was expanded to 32 teams with the winning team being awarded 125 million dollars. This created a better and more expansive competition similar to the World Cup.  

Being hosted on American soil was a huge opportunity for the U.S. to put themselves on the map and prove why being awarded host country for the World Cup in 2026 was a good decision. American fans were excited to see teams like Real Madrid, PSG and Manchester City, as well as older stars like Messi, but also upcoming players such as Desire Doue. In terms of the soccer being played, the tournament was a smashing success. End-to-end action, screaming goals and thrilling finishes encompassed almost every match. But the excitement wasn’t without question; less than ideal attendance, scorching heat and fixture overload were all highly scrutinized.  

Club World Cup Champion Chelsea had a challenging road to the final taking out some of the best South American teams in the tournament. For manager Enzo Maresca, the biggest challenge was the weather conditions. After a two hour delay due to inclement weather in the middle of a huge round of 16 match, Maresca labeled the delay and the host country, “a joke.” Players being inside and off the field for so long and then having to come back on and finish the match can lead to injuries and creates mental block.  

“It’s impossible to play,” said Marcus Llorente, a midfielder for Atletico Madrid.  “It’s terribly hot. My toes were hot, my nails were hurting. I couldn’t stop or start.”  

Teams are given cooling breaks but games being played in the middle of the afternoon during the hottest time of the day doesn’t help. It’s a lot hotter throughout the year in the U.S. than it is in Europe and that took its toll on players and coaches alike. Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City side also played a part in the tournament, where Guardiola complained about the lack of rest for players and how the Club World Cup was exhausting them.  

It was expected that with Lionel Messi and European Champions PSG taking the stage at the tournament, that crowd output would be through the roof. However, a 3 p.m. game on a Monday afternoon oftentimes isn’t going to work with work schedules. Chelsea versus LAFC was the first high profile game but only attracted 22137 fans in Mercedes-Benz stadium which holds up to 71000 fans. Playing at 3 p.m. on a Monday afternoon didn’t help, but with the World Cup expanding to 48 teams, games are going to have to happen all the time on every day of the week. A big match between Seattle Sounders and European champion PSG only attracted 50000 fans in a stadium that holds almost 70000.  

  While there were a lot of complaints about the competition, there’s still reason to look forward to what’s to come. Stadiums filled up as the tournament went on and the weather calmed down. 

  “A lot of the stadiums have roofs to help with the weather and there’s going to be a lot more stadiums used next year,” sophomore Julian Crawley said. “I think we’re ready to host.” 

  There’s a lot to look forward to too but also a lot to be dealt with. The countdown to 2026 is on.