Jürgen Klopp blasts FIFA's Club World Cup: 'Worst idea ever'

Updated: 28 Jun, 2025 • 0 • min read

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Jürgen Klopp blasts FIFA's Club World Cup: 'Worst idea ever'

Photo: AP

Jürgen Klopp has delivered a scathing assessment of FIFA's expanded Club World Cup, calling it "the worst idea ever implemented in football" and warning of a looming crisis in player welfare.

Klopp, who led Liverpool to their first Club World Cup title in 2019 under the old format, expressed serious concern about the toll modern scheduling is taking on elite footballers.

Speaking to German outlet Welt, the ex-Reds boss criticised football's governing bodies for prioritising profits over players.

The Club World Cup is the worst idea ever implemented in football in this regard.

People who have never had anything to do with day-to-day business are coming up with ideas.

New Format, More Pressure

This summer's tournament, expanded to 32 teams, kicked off just two weeks after the Champions League final and runs until 13 July.

Last year it was the Copa and the Euro, this year the Club World Cup, and next year the World Cup.

That means no real recovery for the players involved, neither physically nor mentally.

'A Serious Fear' for Player Health

Klopp, known for his vocal stance on player welfare, compared the situation to other elite sports.

A player in the NBA who also earns a lot of money has four months off every year. Virgil van Dijk hasn't even had that in his entire career.

Tournaments like the Club World Cup can't be played on the backs of the players. I don't wish it on anyone, but I have a serious fear.

The timing of the Club World Cup has been heavily criticised, particularly with the Premier League resuming in mid-August, leaving just a five-week gap between major tournaments and domestic fixtures.

We have to make sure they have breaks, because if they don't get them, they won't be able to deliver top performances in the long run - and if they can't do that anymore, the entire product loses value for the sellers.

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