Club World Cup takeaways: Key lessons for FIFA before World Cup 2026, from climate concerns to one-sided games

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup concluded connected July 13 pinch Chelsea's daze 3-0 last triumph complete Paris Saint-Germain.

The expanded tourney whitethorn not person attracted nan crowds FIFA hoped for successful nan early rounds, but location person nevertheless been plentifulness of bully storylines to build liking complete nan second stages, from nan successes of nan South American nations to a patient dispersed of astonishment results up until nan end.

Of course, everything astir nan Club World Cup has been viewed done nan prism of adjacent year's FIFA World Cup successful nan United States, Canada and Mexico. Since nan Confederations Cup nary longer exists, this nine tourney has served arsenic a preview arena to adjacent year's 48-team World Cup, which is apt to break records for attendance and TV assemblage figures.

With that successful mind, location are plentifulness of topics that person emerged during nan Club World Cup that pertain straight to nan imaginable occurrence of adjacent year's main event.

MORE: Why critics of playing successful U.S. summertime should cool it

Writers and editors from crossed The Sporting News' editions examined immoderate of nan main topics for FIFA and organisers to see arsenic attraction turns from nan Club World Cup to nan 2026 World Cup successful North America.

'94 World Cup last shows consequence of playing successful utmost summertime heat

Playing World Cup matches astatine midday aliases successful nan early day during nan North American summertime is simply a large correction that harms some nan value of nan crippled and nan players' health, arsenic was shown during nan Club World Cup. In galore big cities, temperatures tin easy transcend 90°F (32–33°C), starring to reduced intensity, utmost beingness deterioration and tear, and a higher consequence of heat-related illnesses.

This has been a well-known rumor successful past FIFA tournaments. Diego Maradona, for example, heavy criticised conditions some successful Mexico 1986 and United States 1994. He wasn't unsocial — galore players complained astir being forced to play nether a roasting sun, pinch lucifer times group much for TV audiences successful Europe than for nan athletes' well-being.

The astir striking illustration remains nan 1994 last betwixt Brazil and Italy, played astatine 12:30 p.m. successful California, nether astir 100°F heat. It is wide remembered arsenic 1 of nan worst finals successful World Cup history: nary goals successful 120 minutes, a slow pace, and visibly exhausted players struggling pinch those conditions.

Scheduling matches later successful nan time would besides thief boost attendance successful nan stadiums, particularly connected weekdays and successful little high-profile games. A elemental displacement successful timing would use nan players, and nan fans successful nan hosts countries. In Russia 2018, South Africa 2010, Germany 2006 and South Korea/Japan 2002 (Qatar 2022 and Brazil 2014 were played during wintertime successful those countries) nan large mostly of nan games started aft 4 p.m. section time, which is overmuch amended than nan much than 30 games that started earlier 4 p.m. during nan Club World Cup.

Agustin Aboy

Auckland City show request to equilibrium practice pinch competitory games

There are valid arguments for including lower-tier teams successful world tournaments, arsenic agelong arsenic their beingness ensures adjacent geographic representation. Even if they are intelligibly outmatched, arsenic Auckland City were against Benfica (6-0) and Bayern Munich (10-0), their information makes consciousness wrong nan world shot landscape.

In nan Club World Cup, Auckland City represented each of Oceania — a region that would suffer world visibility without astatine slightest 1 guaranteed spot. No matter nan spread successful quality, excluding an full confederation simply for lacking competitiveness seems unfair.

The situation arises erstwhile scaling this model. While nan CWC featured 32 teams, nan adjacent FIFA World Cup will see 48 nationalist sides. What was a harmless objection successful nan Club World Cup could multiply successful a larger tournament, expanding nan consequence of lopsided matches and diminishing nan entreaty of nan competition.

Juan Estevez

MORE: Watch each nan goals from Bayern's historical triumph complete Auckland City

FIFA's ambiance committedness needs action much than words

A batch of group mightiness deliberation having a committedness to halving c emissions conscionable 4 years aft staging nan largest World Cup successful history crossed nan North American continent doesn't rather adhd up, but this is wherever we are.

FIFA's ambiance strategy has rightly been championed by president Gianni Infantino, who describes nan effect of nan world heating situation arsenic arguably nan "most critical" of our time. The governing assemblage published a "climate awareness" page specifically focused connected nan Club World Cup, and a sustainability strategy is successful spot for adjacent year's finals. This each feels for illustration nan carnivore minimum of due action, but it's still invited to see.

The problem is carrying retired these plans successful existent terms. Much of nan Club World Cup ambiance consciousness page consists of messages directed astatine nan reader, urging them to "measure your ain c emissions" aliases hunt for section ambiance action organisations. Meanwhile, an expanded nine tourney whose raison d'etre has been questioned by plentifulness of cardinal figures successful shot created an estimated 44,390 minutes of air-travel time, each while US president Donald Trump, who will be Sunday's last successful New Jersey, has persisted successful decrying nan ambiance situation arsenic a hoax.

A report published by Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR) said adjacent year's World Cup will beryllium nan astir climate-damaging successful history owed to its description to 48 competing nations and nan truth it is staged crossed 3 ample countries. It is likely, nan study says, that nan tourney will nutrient almost double nan mean footprint of c dioxide equivalent, aliases CO2e — a intends of measuring nan warming effects of different greenhouse gasses — compared to erstwhile World Cups. Thus equates to astir 6.5 cardinal mean cars successful Britain being driven for a full year.

When nan bid was launched, FIFA said nan 2026 World Cup would "establish caller standards for biology sustainability successful athletics and present measurable biology benefits". The onus is connected organisers to put this into believe beyond urging matchgoing fans astatine nan warm-up arena to do their bit.

Joe Wright

Super Bowl-style halftime show needs work

If nan scenes astatine Sunday's last betwixt Chelsea and PSG are thing to spell by, FIFA president Gianni Infantino's sycophantic courting of U.S. president Donald Trump will rumble connected adjacent summer. If we could support POTUS retired of nan trophy assistance adjacent time, that'd beryllium nice, but you expect Infantino doesn't position this arsenic a problem successful nan slightest.

However, taking nan FIFA main connected his ain merits, he promised a halftime show "befitting nan biggest sporting arena successful nan world". If nan Club World Cup halftime show is what he has successful mind, past there's activity to beryllium done.

The immense mostly of shot fans would for illustration we instrumentality pinch nan modular 15-minute break and get connected pinch nan game. But, seeing arsenic this is Gianni's world and we're each surviving successful it (even you, Donald), past it's clip to proffer immoderate advice. Soccer, that weird crippled that tin decorativeness zero-zero aft 90 minutes, is competing for U.S. eyeballs. It's nan main logic its biggest world tourney is going to North America successful its biggest ever form.

With that successful mind, nan past point it tin do is look for illustration a inexpensive type of nan NFL. Robbie Williams was nan commencement move astatine Sunday's pre-match show, a man whose floor plan only genuinely took disconnected successful America aft much than 30 years successful showbiz erstwhile he had a monkey play him successful his ain biopic. Coldplay are astir apt much successful statement pinch nan big-hitters Infantino needs to statement successful adjacent twelvemonth and vocalist Chris Martin will person domiciled to play arsenic an advisor.

Martin helped to curate this weekend's show and chucked his ain set into nan operation to springiness nan halftime arena a severely needed assistance successful profile. However, it each taking spot connected a shape lodged up successful nan 3rd tier of MetLife Stadium made nan full point look for illustration a knock-off replacement to nan Super Bowl bonanza, which has go assignment viewing successful nan States. If Infantino's going to adhd 10 minutes onto nan interval astatine nan astir important shot crippled connected nan planet, he'd amended make it worthy his and our while.

Dom Farrell