FIFA gave its 32 competing teams a billion reasons to take a revamped Club World Cup seriously when announcing its monstrous prize pot back in March, with a potential $125million for the winner.
The empty seats at many stadiums, and patchy quality of the football, may have sparked some barbed comments, but to the clubs involved, this is a brand-building moment and a chance to spark growth.
“I know first-hand the clubs competing in the Club World Cup are hugely supportive of it. They see it as a major opportunity,” Phil Carling, head of football at marketing agency Octagon, tells The Athletic.
“Talent follows money, eyeballs follow talent, and money follows eyeballs.” This Club World Cup, for all its detractors, is a big step towards more.
That’s why the tournament matters to the participating clubs.
