FIFA President Gianni Infantino has hailed the inaugural edition of the 32-team Club World Cup as a "huge success" and called it "the most successful club competition in the world."
"The golden age of club football has begun. We can safely say that this Club World Cup is already the most successful competition of its kind," said Infantino.
"We have created something new, something that will last, something that changes the landscape of club football," Infantino added.
According to him, the tournament held in the United States generated almost $2,1 billion (1,79 billion euros) in revenue for a total of 63 matches, which means an average of $33 million (28,22 million euros) per match.
"No other club competition in the world comes close to this," said the FIFA president.
Infantino also addressed the criticism surrounding the newly formed competition, especially when it comes to the visit.
To comments that some matches were played in front of empty stands, he responded:
"I'd rather have 35.000 spectators in an 80.000-capacity stadium than 20.000 in a 20.000-capacity stadium. Our numbers are breaking records."
However, he admitted that the extreme heat was a "real problem", especially in the context of the upcoming 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the US, Mexico and Canada.
Most of the matches were played in extreme heat, which forced the organizers to introduce mandatory refreshment breaks.
The high temperatures were further accentuated by the fact that matches were often scheduled for midday or early afternoon to accommodate European spectators.
"We need to think about how we can improve things: we have introduced refreshment breaks and watered the pitches. We also have covered stadiums, so we will use them more during the day," Infantino said, adding that only five of the 16 stadiums for next year have a retractable roof.
The Club World Cup final is on Sunday at 21pm - Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea meet.
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