FIFA’s newly expanded Club World Cup kicks off in Miami on June 14, featuring some of soccer’s biggest stars like Lionel Messi and greatest teams like Real Madrid. But the launch of the new-look tournament, staged in the United States, also comes with uncertainty over how it will be embraced in an already bloated calendar where soccer is played virtually year-round.
This is world governing body FIFA’s big play to get a stronghold in the club game. Until now, club soccer’s marquee events have been regional competitions such as the prestigious Champions League, which is organized by European soccer body UEFA.
FIFA hopes the four-yearly event will be to club soccer what the World Cup is to international soccer and establish itself as one of the biggest and wealthiest tournaments in sport.
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