5 hours ago
6
‘No one needs more games’
It is a senseless attempt to line Fifa’s already gilded pockets and increase the demands on already exhausted players who must be close to breaking point. The idea of the world’s top clubs playing each other is dull because of the mismatch in resources between Europe and the rest. No one needs more games in an already crowded calendar. Playing it in the heat of the American summer is another mistake. I suspect the clubs that participated will pay for it next season. Scrap it. Max, an Arsenal fan
‘An excellent addition’
It has been an excellent addition to the football calendar. It provides an opportunity for football lovers to see clubs from across the world – not just Europe. The clubs from Brazil and Saudi Arabia were revelations. The next tournament, in four years’ time, should include more clubs from other parts of the world so that it is more like the World Cup. Joy, a Chelsea fan
‘This is the reality of the 21st century’
The old Club World Cup was too deferential to the Uefa-Conmebol binary of significance. The media loves to critique the massive financial deals and sportswashing, but this is the reality of commercial entertainment business in the 21st century. Applying legacy ideas associated with working-class culture from the late 19th century makes no sense. The clubs involved, if they are not already world brands, aim to be such. The enormous sums of money on offer made serious participation a reality, and the strength of fan culture, especially of the Brazilian teams, did the rest. The inability of European media to understand the value of a tournament including African and Asian clubs, as well as South American ones, is inconsistent with the internationalist outlook that European progressive journalism lives by. Robert, a Manchester City fan
‘A huge mistake’
Forcing players into additional matches after a difficult and long season is a huge mistake. The consequences – injuries and fatigue – will be felt next season. The tournament would work better with eight teams: two groups of four, then semi-finals and a final. Bogdan, an Everton fan
‘An exhausting swindle’
My expectations for the Club World Cup were broadly aligned with my expectations for Brexit: an extraordinary payday for an already-rich minority who don’t need it, and an exhausting swindle for the rest of us. All it needed was Gianni Infantino hiding in a fridge to complete the tribute. I don’t think there is such a thing as a good addition to the men’s football calendar at this point. The players were already succumbing to increased fatigue and injury. It’s perhaps fitting that Chelsea have thrived, a team hoarding enough wingers to compete in every top-flight domestic league simultaneously. Bin it. Matthew, a Manchester United fan
‘The calendar is overbooked everywhere’
I expected a glorified pre-season tournament and did not have high hopes for the non-European teams. But this tournament has shown that football results are defined not only by money but by momentum, grit and tactics. Yes, the weather in the US was a problem and the calendar is getting overbooked, but that is a problem everywhere. Rather than blaming the Club World Cup – seven games every four years – the more serious problem is that Brazilian football has more than 75 official matches each season, and England has two cup competitions, and Uefa adds extra games to its competitions every year. Frederico, a Coritiba fan
‘I loved seeing the South American teams’
If my team wasn’t playing I probably wouldn’t have watched. We used to say you can never have too much football – but you can. However fit the players may be, and however much they get paid, they are still human beings. We want them rested and ready to go before the new season. The tournament should be played somewhere more seasonally suited to football, and with a bit more clarity around which teams qualify to play. I loved seeing the South American teams. Watching South American teams at the World Cup is not the same as it used to be given that we already know most of the players as so many play in Europe. Laura, a Chelsea fan
‘A World Cup for clubs makes sense’
It makes sense to have a World Cup for clubs. Fans want to know who is the best club in the world, which no existing tournament tells us. Also, the Club World Cup brings together different football and cultures in a way the World Cup doesn’t. For next time around, one of New Zealand’s two professional clubs, Auckland FC or Wellington Phoenix, should represent Oceania (provided they qualify), even though they play in the Asian A-League, rather than the amateur team Auckland City. They would have been more competitive. Bill, a Manchester United fan
‘It’s definitely been a lot of fun’
I was sceptical, as many probably were, but whether it’s simply that I like watching my team play, or whether it’s seeing Chelsea spark an unlikely rivalry with Flamengo (which we sadly lost), it’s definitely been a lot of fun. It’s a marked improvement on the previous format, which nobody really cared about. It’s fun watching a Moroccan team I’d never heard of face European giants – and the quality of the non-European teams was really high overall. We’re quite presumptive here in Europe that we’re the best when it comes to football, so watching European sides (at times) struggle has been enjoyable. That said, my positive view is undeniably helped by Chelsea going all the way to the final. And, while there’s a chance our young team will now enjoy a confidence boost, I can’t help but feel that a lack of pre-season and tired legs will hit us as the season starts. The tournament should remain once every four years – let’s keep it prestigious – and should not be hosted in a country with searing summer heat and thunderstorms. I’ll have nightmares about that Benfica match for years to come. And can someone other than DAZN please buy the rights? I can’t bear seeing their advertisements on the screen every 14 seconds. Michael, a Chelsea fan
‘An unwatchable, unethical, abomination’
I expected an unwatchable, unethical, abomination that nobody cares about and it delivered in spades. It is ridiculous to jam this into a calendar after such a long season. Player welfare has been absolutely put to the side and it is just another vehicle for Saudi Arabia and other sportswashers to attempt to take over football. I did not watch it this time and will not watch it next time. It is a petro-state backed, sportwashing debacle that should have never have happened. It is basically everything that is wrong with football rolled up into a tournament. Jared, an Arsenal fan
‘The Brazilian teams were a breath of fresh air
The teams have made the tournament, not anything Fifa has done. The Brazilian teams were a breath of fresh air. They took it seriously, which made the European sides do the same. Otherwise it would have just been a mini Champions League, played in America for the money, with teams in pre-season friendly mode. Nicksleftfoot, an Everton fan
