Supporters are particularly critical of the additional burden on professionals and the high prize money for the top global teams.

Cologne. This summer sees the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup. This event marks a historic turning point in international club football: for the first time, 32 teams from all six confederations will compete against each other in a four-week tournament. From 14 June to 13 July 2025, the USA will host this global competition. Fans from all over the world can look forward to 63 additional matches in the fixture list. The tournament format is based on the classic World Cup model: eight groups of four teams each, followed by a knockout phase from the round of 16. Another first is the additional transfer window, which allows clubs to sign players at short notice to strengthen their squads for the tournament. With prize money of up to 125 million US dollars for the winner, FIFA is setting new standards and underscoring the growing importance of global club football for the world governing body.

However There are not only positive opinions about the new competition. Many fans complain that the financial gap in the individual national leagues would widen further due to the high prize money of the Club World Cup. In addition, not only the majority of supporters, but also various experts and even some protagonists themselves criticise the enormous additional burden that the tournament, which is additionally integrated into the already packed fixture list, entails. In order to capture a current mood among German football fans in this complex situation, FanQ surveyed 1,000 football enthusiasts about the upcoming Club World Cup.

Given the criticisms already mentioned, it is not surprising that among supporters, there is no great anticipation immediately before the start of the tournament. Survey participants rated the idea of holding the Club World Cup in the planned format with an average of just 2.2 out of five possible stars. Furthermore, only 17.5 %of respondents stated that they would follow the tournament very (9.7 %) or rather keenly (7.8 %), while more than half of football enthusiasts (55.7 %) indicated they would watch the games less keenly (31.3 %) or not at all (24.4 % ).

As already mentioned, the additional burden on the professionals is perceived as particularly problematic. When asked how serious the impact of this aspect would be, football fans gave it an average of 4.2 out of a possible five stars. The extent of the financial income that FIFA makes possible for the top global clubs with the reorganisation of the Club World Cup is also a thorn in the side of many supporters. A total of 87.3 % of survey participants fully (65.1 %) or somewhat (22.2 %) agree with the statement that the financial gap in the national leagues will widen even further as a result. Although the short transfer window introduced especially for the tournament, which starts in mid-June, has meant that the obligatory transfer reporting has started a few weeks earlier this time, it has caused irritation among fans, which is why the corresponding survey only reflects a rather mixed rating of 2.5 stars.

The high appearance fees and performance bonuses alongside the rather low fan interest, which is reflected not only in the FanQ survey but can also be seen, for example, in the low ticket requests, are somewhat contradictory. A particularly interesting question that naturally arises in this context is whether the newly created Club World Cup by the world governing body could devalue the established UEFA competitions in the long run – above all, of course, the premium product that is the Champions League. In total, 39.0 % of respondents share this concern, while the remaining 61.0 % of survey participants do not foresee any danger to the relevance of the European tournaments for the time being, so that the supporters' opinion on this matter has not yet fully crystallised at this point.

Even on the question of the extent to which individual clubs will prioritise the competition as part of their preparations, respondents are not entirely sure. In the corresponding survey, they award an average of 3.3 out of a possible five stars. In sporting terms, 40.7 %of fans consider the reigning Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain to be the top favourites for the title at the Club World Cup. Behind them, two other representatives from Europe follow with FC Bayern Munich (20.9 %) and Real Madrid (20.5 % ). Opinions among supporters diverge regarding the performance level of non-European teams. 48.0 % of them believe at least one non-UEFA representative can reach the top four, while the remaining 52.0 % believe the semi-finals will be an all-UEFA affair.

Borussia Dortmund and the aforementioned FC Bayern Munich will be participating in the tournament in the USA from Germany. Around a third of the survey participants (33.0 %) think that BVB can reach the quarter-finals, whereas 37.9 %of those polled predict an earlier exit for coach Niko Kovač's side. As many as 29.2 % can even imagine the Westphalians advancing to at least the semi-finals.

In contrast, more than half of football fans (51.3 %) expect the reigning German champions from Munich to finish in the top four, with 25.4 %of supporters even anticipating FCB reaching the final. 26.3 % of respondents, meanwhile, believe they will be eliminated in the quarter-finals, while 22.4 % even assume that Vincent Kompany's squad will pack their bags even earlier.

In each group, most football enthusiasts are backing their respective favourites. In Group C, a close race is anticipated to see which team, besides FC Bayern Munich (93.2 %of respondents predict them advancing), will move into the knockout stages. Behind them, Boca Juniors (49.1 %) and Benfica Lisbon (48.8 %) are vying for the other Round of 16 ticket. In Group H, respondents even believe in a three-way battle behind Real Madrid (93.5 %). Here, RB Salzburg (34.7 %) is only slightly ahead of fans' expectations compared to CF Pachuca from Mexico (33.2 %) and Al-Hilal from Saudi Arabia (32.1 % ).

The new FIFA Club World Cup undoubtedly represents a significant, albeit controversially discussed, event in international club football. With an expanded field of participants, a World Cup-like tournament format, and enormous prize money, FIFA is underlining its ambition to further globalise club football. However, despite the historic format and the potential to excite fans worldwide, the tournament is meeting with mixed reactions.

The FanQ survey results clearly show that large sections of football fans are rather sceptical about the competition. They are particularly critical of the additional burden on players and the growing financial inequality in club football. The special transfer window and the potential competition with existing UEFA competitions are also viewed critically. At the same time, expectations of German teams such as Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern, as well as the discussion surrounding potential favourites, indicate that the sporting appeal is certainly present. Ultimately, it remains to be seen how the new format will establish itself – both among the participating clubs and, above all, among the supporters.

FanQ is the "voice of the fans". It is the only football platform where the opinion of the fans takes centre stage. The experienced FanQ editorial team provides daily surveys via the web and app. Fans can vote on their favourite clubs and all relevant football topics. FanQ is interactive. Fans can exchange opinions, interact socially and ask their own questions. This results in a representative picture of the mood. FanQ also creates long-term studies to research complex topics. Registration for the web community and use of the app are free of charge. FanQ is based in Cologne.

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Kilian Weber/Joachim Lammert 
Managing Director