Opposition to FIFA’s Club World Cup
Javier Tebas, the head of LaLiga, has reiterated his strong opposition to FIFA’s enlarged Club World Cup, expressing a desire to completely remove the tournament from the sports calendar. At a recent event in Madrid, he described the competition as “entirely absurd.”
His comments came after witnessing a segment of Chelsea’s 2-0 victory over LAFC, which he likened to a lackluster friendly match.
“My aim is to see the end of the Club World Cups altogether. It’s clear to me that there’s no need for an additional tournament that directs funds to the same clubs and players. This proposed model negatively impacts the entire structure of national leagues, particularly in Europe, and the market for audiovisual rights is already saturated,”
he stated. He advocated for reverting the tournament to its previous format, which was held nearly over a weekend, suggesting there are no suitable dates left in the calendar for an expanded version.
Reflecting on the intensity of the tournament, he remarked: “I caught a glimpse of the Chelsea match, and it felt like a preseason encounter. There was little to no intensity, at least within the first 25 minutes I observed.”
Current State of the Tournament
The revamped Club World Cup is currently being hosted in the United States and began on June 14 with a scoreless match between Inter Miami and Al Ahly. This iteration of the tournament features 32 teams, including two Spanish clubs—Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid—and is set to occur every four years until its conclusion on July 13.
Barcelona’s Squad Development
In contrast, Barcelona, who are not participating in the Club World Cup, are actively seeking to bolster their squad this summer. Recent reports from ESPN indicate they have triggered Joan García’s €25 million ($28.9 million) release clause from Espanyol and are closely monitoring Athletic Club winger Nico Williams.
Despite these moves, Tebas pointed out that Barcelona still struggles with player registration under LaLiga’s financial regulations, which limit their spending based on savings or income generated from player transactions.
“Making García’s transfer official is one thing; being able to register players is another,” he explained. “Barcelona is aware of the steps they need to take to free up space for new signings. The club knows what is required.”
He further commented on the ongoing speculation surrounding Nico Williams and other potential signings, stating,
“First, we need to validate these reports. I can’t confirm anything, but they are yet to reach a 1:1 ratio in their financial dealings, meaning they will need to facilitate some moves before any new player can be registered.”
