Club World Cup 'world's Most Successful Club Competition'

Fifa president Gianni Infantino believes nan Club World Cup is "already nan astir successful nine title successful nan world", contempt "some negatives" surrounding nan tournament.

Infantino, who has led world football's governing assemblage since 2016, claims nan title has generated much than $2bn (£1.5bn) successful revenue, which he says is worthy "$33m (£24m) per match".

As a result, he believes nan tourney has been a "huge success", adding "the aureate era of world nine shot has started".

Infantino's words travel conscionable weeks aft erstwhile Liverpool head Jurgen Klopp said nan Club World Cup, which this twelvemonth moved to nan summertime and expanded to 32 teams, was "the worst thought ever implemented successful football".

Many matches person been poorly attended, pinch much than a cardinal quiet seats during nan tournament, while players for illustration Jude Bellingham, Reece James and Enzo Fernandez person criticised nan upwind conditions and value of nan pitches successful nan United States.

Chelsea midfielder Fernandez said nan power was "very dangerous", while his head Enzo Maresca complained it is "impossible" to person a normal training session.

Speaking astatine Trump Tower successful New York connected nan eve of Sunday's last betwixt Chelsea and Paris St-Germain (20:00 BST), Infantino said: "The aureate era of world nine shot has started.

"We tin opportunity decidedly that this Fifa Club World Cup has been a huge, huge, immense success. Of course, location are a batch of positives, immoderate negatives.

"We respect everyone's opinion. It has been successful. We person had complete 2.5 cardinal successful nan stadium. That's astir 40,000 spectators per lucifer - location is nary convention successful nan world pinch that number, isolated from nan Premier League which, of course, has location teams and these are neutral stadiums.

"We heard financially it would not activity but I tin opportunity we generated complete $2bn successful revenues pinch this competition. We earned connected mean $33m per match. There is nary different cup title successful nan world that comes adjacent to $33m per match.

"It is already nan astir successful nine title successful nan world pinch each different measurements."

In New Jersey, wherever Sunday's last - group to beryllium attended by US President Donald Trump - will return place, temperatures person reached 38C successful caller days.

Infantino accepted nan precocious summertime temperatures successful nan US are "definitely an issue" aft Fernandez called connected Fifa to see subordinate use earlier adjacent summer's 2026 World Cup.

Earlier this month, players' national Fifpro said it believed Chelsea's crippled against ES Tunis successful Philadelphia, among others, should person been delayed aliases postponed because of nan heat.

The World Cup is owed to return spot successful nan US, Canada and Mexico complete nan aforesaid play adjacent year.

"Of course, nan power is decidedly an issue," said Infantino. "It's an rumor astir nan world. I retrieve it was nan aforesaid successful nan Olympics successful Paris and successful different shot games.

"The conditions request cooling breaks, watering nan transportation and seeing really we tin do things better. But we person stadiums successful America that are covered and 1 successful Canada successful Vancouver which is covered, and we will decidedly usage these stadiums much during nan day."

Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium was nan only covered stadium astatine nan Club World Cup but nan 2026 World Cup will person a further 4 options pinch roofs - Vancouver, Dallas, Houston and Los Angeles.