Article by Dragoș Petrescu – published on Sunday, June 22, 2025 19:11 / Updated Sunday, June 22, 2025 7:23
The club World Cup stands remained almost empty every time at the parties in which no big names in world football have evolved. However, President FIFA, Gianni Infantino (55 years old), is convinced that we only witness at the beginning of a revolution and that football will conquer in the coming years the United States..
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The World Club Championship takes place between June 14 and July 13, being fully available on the Voyo and DazN platforms, and the most important matches will be televised by Pro TV, respectively Pro Arena;
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32 teams, distributed in eight groups participate. The first two teams in each group qualify in optimal;
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The final takes place on the Metlife Stadium in New Jersey on July 13.
The full program of stage #2 from the Club World Cup
The new Mammoth format of the World Club Championship has already passed the first week, and the competition organizers have gradually analyzed what works well and what aspects could be improved.
One of the sensitive topics is certainly that of the assistance in the stands, which has been shown to be at least controversial. While some matches were played in an absolutely spectacular atmosphere, others took place in front of half-empty stands, a totally inappropriate thing for a large tour.
Despite this, the FIFA President is optimistic about the evolution of the sport in the United States, being convinced that in the coming years, the number of spectators and the level of football will increase considerably.
Gianni Infantino: “In a maximum of 5 years, MLS will be among the most powerful leagues in the world”
This weekend, at an event organized in New York, the Swiss said football has the potential to become, soon, “Sport number 1 in the US“. Also, the ones from”The Athletic“They said that this is one of the main objectives set by FIFA for the coming years.
In three or four, a maximum of five years, football will be in the top here, and MLS will be one of the best leagues in the world. Why? Because I'm here.
The World Club Championship and next year's World Championship should show young Americans that if you are good and talented, you should not choose another sport, such as basket or baseball. You can become rich if you choose the football path. We will show them the power of football in their country.
– Gianni Infantino, President FIFA
Gianni Infantino and Donald Trump, along with the Trophy at the World Club Championship 2025
Also, according to Infantino, important reforms in state football are planned, including the introduction of the promotion and relegation system in the major League Soccer. Currently, MLS functions as a closed system, according to the North American sports model.
He also explained how special such a system can be, offering the example of Wrexham: the Welsh Club, bought in 2021 by the Hollywood Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mcelhenney stars, then in the fifth league, will play next season in the second English league – a path that has attracted the attention of the American public due to the involvement of the celebrities success.
