The Club World Cup Was the Perfect Preface to Next Year’s World Cup

The Club World Cup has taken the footballing world by storm in the past weeks with heavyweights of the footballing world clashing in entertaining, competitive matches. With champions from all over the globe, the cream has risen to the top with Paris Saint Germain and Chelsea featuring in the final. It would be Chelsea who caused the upset in the final, defeating the Champions League winners 3-0 on the night.

With 11 stadiums spread across America as well as multiple different training bases and a lot of fan fair around each fixture, it gives fans a good insight into how next year’s 2026 World Cup (which takes place across Mexico, the United States and Canada) will look. From specialist announcements, delayed kick-offs, new technologies and half time shows, the Club World Cup acted as the perfect preface for the upcoming world cup.

Stadiums and Travel Issues 

Of the 11 stadiums used for the Club World Cup, five will be used for the World Cup next year. The Met Life Stadium (New York/New Jersey), Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atalanta), Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia), Lumen Field (Seattle) and the Hard Rock Stadium (Miami) will be used in both tournaments. These are huge stadiums, boasting numbers of up to 82,500.

Alongside these, matches in Mexico City, Toronto and at the AT&T Stadium (which could host up to 105,000 people) will be sure to bring in a wide range of different fans. During the Club World Cup, we have seen a lot of empty seats, however, due to the World Cup being the biggest tournament in the world, it’s sure to bring in big numbers. It has been alleged that FIFA moved fans' seats to make the stadiums appear fuller, however, this hasn’t yet been confirmed. Four matches failed to achieve more than 10,000 fans, less than the average attendance in England's League One last season.

The key issues with having it spread across three countries are that it can make it extremely difficult and expensive for fans. For example, team A2 (the team in Mexico’s group) will play in Mexico City, then in Atalanta and play their final group game in Guadalupe. A distance of 2629 miles to see three games (not including travel to Mexico City) seems unachievable for many.

There will also be 62 training bases distributed across the three countries, meaning that travel for the squads will be sizeable too.

Special Announcements and Delayed Kick-Offs

Legendary announcer, Michael Buffer, most famous for being the voice of boxing, announcing some of the biggest fights in history, was hired for the Club World Cup semi-finals and final. This was an attempt to improve the atmosphere and set the scene for the upcoming matches. It is alleged that he earned up to $300,000 for the three appearances. Expect to see this at the World Cup, with announcements being made by famous voices for the latter fixtures. A gimmick, but not one that adds to the game at all.

In addition, NBA-style player introductions have been included, where each starting player is announced individually before entering the pitch, adding to the spectacle of the event. It has frustrated fans as it has led to delayed kick-offs in almost every game.

Games have also been delayed due to adverse weather conditions, with one of Chelsea’s fixtures delayed up to two hours due to storms. On the contrary, players have been granted water breaks due to 32-degree heat in some areas of America. This contrast in weather is only going to be accentuated at the World Cup, with games being played across three different regions. In addition, the altitude of Mexico City (2240m above sea level) is going to add an extra headache for visiting teams… literally.

Pre-Match and Half Time Shows

Did anyone have a Robbie Williams performance on their Club World Cup final bingo card? If so, you’re in the money. Williams, alongside Laura Pausini performed Fifa’s new official anthem. If that wasn’t enough, a military flyover and a firework display all took place before a ball was even kicked. Scheduled for an 8pm kick off, the final didn’t actually start until eight minutes after.

If delaying the kick-off time wasn’t frustrating enough for fans at home, the half time show during the final was very ‘Super Bowl’. Coldplay’s Chris Martin, J Balvin, Doja Cat and Tems all took to an elaborate stage high in the sky (in an attempt not to damage the pitch). No one can deny that it was impressive to fit in such a big performance, as well as a brief interview with Donald Trump in just 15 minutes. Expect, it didn’t. The second half kicked off 24 minutes after the first half had finished, nine minutes longer than usual. Strange.

Enhanced Tech

The Club World Cup allowed fans to get closer than ever to the action with referee bodycams. It’s as simple as it sounds. The referees wore a GoPro-type camera, and throughout the broadcast, as well as in the stadiums, fans were able to view highlights from the referee’s point of view. It also allows fans to understand why decisions were not given. In a game against PSG and Atlético Madrid, a handball was missed. Speaking to Fifa, legendary referee, Pierluigi Collina, stated: "From this ref cam, it was absolutely clear that the referee could not have seen that incident live on the pitch". These cameras allowed fans to be better informed about the referee’s decision-making processes throughout the match.

In addition to the ref cams, VAR has seen an improvement for fans in the stadium. Replays have been shown live in the stadiums, as well as the referees being made to explain their decisions to supporters in the stadium itself. This does allow for more transparency with regards to decision making, however, does also heap more pressure on the referees.

Other Oddities

Who pictured President Donald Trump celebrating with Chelsea as they lifted the Club World Cup trophy? If you didn’t, don’t worry, there’s plenty of photo evidence. After Trump and Fifa president Giovanni Infantino handed over the trophy to Chelsea’s captain, Trump refused to step away from the limelight (very unlike him). If this wasn’t enough, The Independent reported that Trump kept the original $230,000 trophy in the Oval Office, and the one that Chelsea lifted on the night was a replica.

Expect Trump to have a huge presence during the 2026 World Cup. Expect it to be very ‘American’ and expect a whole host of new initiatives to make it the biggest World Cup ever.