Five Things Brands Should Know About the New FIFA Club Competition

Five Things Brands Should Know About the New FIFA Club Competition

1. It’s an expanded tournament starting in the USA in 2025. FIFA is expanding the Club World Cup to a larger tournament with 32 participating teams. The new version of the tournament will be played once every four years, filling a gap in the international football calendar between the FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship.

2. It’s a prelude to FIFA World Cup 2026. There’s no better test to the FIFA World Cup 2026 than the introduction of this new FIFA Club World Cup format—exactly one year ahead and on the same field of play. No doubt that the decision to launch this new version was reached based on the United States’ position as a proven leader in staging global events and because it allows FIFA to maximize synergies with the delivery of the FIFA World Cup 2026, to the benefit of both tournaments and the development of global football in the North American region.

3. Top talent brings global fans to US soil. Clubs like Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester City will show up to play on US soil. When the best clubs and the best players are all coming to the US, it quickly becomes the new biggest opportunity to not just show up but make a statement.

4. It has its own partnership opportunities. While not yet defined by FIFA, we know that the new FIFA Club World Cup (official name still TBA) will have its own commercial structure separate to the existing pillars and brands already associated with FIFA. The tournament provides a great opportunity for both challenger brands and those looking to focus on the football space, which offers a global reach and die-hard fans.

5. Start prepping for the can’t miss opportunities of the decade. Attracting attention and fan interest by featuring some of the world's top club teams in a high-stakes competition along with the FIFA World Cup 2026–which is another massive opportunity for brands to shine—will reach global audiences either in person or digitally. These two global events, probably the most inclusive and diverse sporting events ever—will represent the can’t miss opportunities of the decade.

With the event 9 months after Paris 2024 and 12 months before the FIFA World Cup, international partners will have to turn fast to key messaging and activations to transform these two events into business & marketing opportunities.