In Praise of the Club World Cup
A Contrarian Take: Why We’re Actually Excited About This Summer’s Expanded Football Tournament
The Champions League trophy has been lifted. It’s the most prestigious club title in the world and draws three times the global viewership of the Super Bowl. Normally, this is when football fans take the summer off. Reconnect with family. Fix something in the garage. Wait for the next World Cup.
Not this year.
In just two weeks, FIFA launches a revamped, re-engineered, and heavily hyped Club World Cup (CWC) and while the global football calendar isn’t asking for another tournament, this one might actually matter.
But First, Let’s Be Honest…
Ticket sales are sluggish. Broadcasters aren’t biting. And no one knows if these clubs are sending their A-teams or their accountants.
Are we getting Liverpool’s best XI? Or Salah waving to the crowd before heading back to the trainer’s table?
When Ulsan Hyundai plays Mamelodi Sundowns, it's hard to imagine the casual fan caring. But here’s the thing:
Disruptive Play isn’t here to bury the Club World Cup. We’re here to frame why it might just matter.
Because the best competitions in sports often come from one simple question:
Who’s better?
Ali or Bruce Lee. NBA or Olympics. Champions League or Copa Libertadores. European football or the rest of the world.
That’s what the CWC has the chance to answer — if only we pay attention..
And with that in mind here are some storylines that are broader DP will be following:
🇧🇷 How Strong Are the Brasileiro Clubs?
The depth and quality of Brazilian football is unmatched. They dominate the export market of players globally with more than 1,200 professionals outside of the country.
When recently in Brazil and watching football, DP’s untrained eye and general lack of footballing knowledge was impressed not just with the quality, but the organization and discipline of the play. CWC Group stages will be very interesting as there is a chance for potential humiliation of the big names in Europe.
This is a real opportunity for Brazil to market its clubs on a much bigger stage. Beyond this, their success could put some momentum into the most deserving yet poorly managed of club competitions - the Copa Libertadores. I’m hoping that this year’s CWC marks the start when South American football started challenging Europe for supremacy in club football.
🇺🇸 Will MLS Get Exposed?
There are 30 clubs in the MLS. Ten more than the Premier League and La Liga. A country not known for its depth of producing domestic footballing talent as well as structured not specifically not to overspend for top players at the top of their game (apologies to elegantly aging Messi) continues to grow seemingly without regards to the impact of the quality of game on the pitch.
MLS does very well in terms of local fan attendance. Its live viewership is a lot less healthy. While the Apple deal is good for the league’s finances, we don’t have much information in terms of who is watching. After an initial Messi-sized burst of interest, attention appears to be dwindling.
Now we will see how the MLS strategy of continued club expansion impacts the product on the pitch. I was told a couple of years back off the record by an English coach at a top MLS club that at best of the league would be mid-table in England’s Championship. Personally, I wouldn’t want to be a Sounders fan watching them face PSG, Atleti and Botafogo in the group stages.
And those people saying this year’s NBA draft was rigged haven’t looked closely at CWC’s Group A, where Inter Miami faces Palmeiras, Porto and Al Ahly. That’s MLS’s one chance to get out of the groups and hopefully give the world what they want… more Messi.
FIFA and the MLS appear aware of the glaring deficiencies of American club soccer as there are only two clubs in a home market tournament. This is not going to be a showcase for the domestic product and the MLS isn’t making America great.
🌍 Is This the Beginning of Global Club Competitions?
Is the Champions League better football than the Euros? Are the NBA Finals higher quality than Olympic basketball? When will the World Series actually involve the world? While emotions could be higher at the Euros and the Olympics, the quality of play is better at the club level if we are being totally honest. The teams are assembled through paying for the best players for each position. They practice and play together more continuously. The club coaches get much more time with the players.
Now with the Club World Cup, we will see whether that translates into a combination of top quality performances melding with local passions. If it delivers, the NBA will perhaps start thinking about a tournament involving Real Madrid, Olympiacos and KK Partizan. If the Celtics hate going to the Garden, they haven’t yet been to the Stark Arena in Belgrade. The best basketball players on the planet are coming from Europe right now. Let’s get to know the clubs that have given us Wemby, Luka and the Joker and see seriously how they square up against their NBA counterparts. There is nothing friendly about club basketball in Europe when there’s a trophy to be had.
The same applies to baseball. We have an excellent World Baseball Classic for national teams. Now let’s see how Japan’s Yomiuri Giants and South Korea’s Kia Tigers stack up against their American counterparts.
These baseball and basketball teams have long been supplying U.S. teams with their generational players. Let’s give the clubs a bigger stage. It’ll be fun.
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Pivoting to Disruptive Play and our drive to grow sports properties through social platforms, here’s a couple of things to think about regarding the CWC:
The CWC is the football event of the summer. Are you going to find a way to use the spotlight to build your club following in the world’s biggest sports market?
Borussia Dortmund, Palmeiras and Al Hilal; do you have your social strategy in place? Don’t let your social media team take a holiday. Get them to be creative and try different things. This is a real opportunity. Don’t miss it.
Use the arrogant indifference to the CWC to find a bargain opportunity for your brand.
FIFA has weathered so many different types of PR storms over the years but in the end, we still watch. So if your brand is looking for a cost-effective means of activating against the biggest clubs and players on the planet in the world’s biggest sports market, we believe there is a bargain here. Combine that with the amazing creators in the U.S. and you will have a compelling means of presenting your brand.
Social will be the best way to enjoy this competition - at least during the group stage.
Maybe 90 minutes of FC Salzburg is not your thing. We anticipate that social media will have a comprehensive offering of highlights based on what we are hearing from our friends at the platforms and the rights holders.
Final Thought:
The Club World Cup may not be perfect — but in the race to redefine global club supremacy, it might be the starting line.
And the brands, creators, and clubs that show up now? They’ll have a head start.
 | A guest post by
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