That big clubs want big tournaments, where they get big money, is hardly a surprise. And that they want to do it with less effort. Consider this: Paris Saint-Germain earned $106.9 million as the runner-up of the Club World Cup, playing just seven matches. Whereas they pocketed only $155 million from 18 matches, as the winner of the UEFA Champions League, arguably the greatest club football tournament in the world.

So, despite Infantino’s dream of hosting this grand fair of football clubs every four years, some clubs like Real Madrid are pushing for a biennial version. And that has created a political tug of war inside FIFA’s Zurich HQ. But why are clubs pushing for it? 

FIFA Club World Cup provided a global revenue stream

Even Infantino thinks that’s an overkill, but Florentino Perez, widely regarded as one of the most powerful men in the world of football, has pushed for it. Why? You need only ask. 

• The club has spent over $1.5B in renovating Santiago Bernabeu, its home ground. 
• The current debt stands at $1.3B, per the latest financial report. 
• The club has started repayment of the loan. 

Now, Real Madrid earned $82.5M from the Club World Cup, a paltry sum compared to its debt. But big clubs don’t just rely on tournament money. After all, Manchester United, despite being in a slump for about a decade—its last notable silverware came at the 2016-17 UEFA Europa League–is the second most valuable club. The adjusted core profit for this year stands at $244M.

Clubs like Manchester United, AC Milan, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, and others rely on their global popularity to drive ticket sales and merchandise sales.

• The Guardian reported that 25% of total ticket sales at the FIFA Club World Cup were due to Real Madrid fans. 
• Real Madrid earned $229M from merchandise sales alone in the 2023-24 season, the highest among all European clubs.
• Real Madrid also has the highest percentage of overseas fans, topping both FC Barcelona and Manchester United. 

So, a club like Real Madrid pushing for a biennial Club World Cup perfectly fits a business plan aimed at maximizing revenue from a global fanbase. However, Infantino is unwilling to entertain that proposal. 

Why is FIFA rejecting Real Madrid’s proposal? 

In short, the FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, doesn’t want to kill the golden goose. Yet. FIFA claims that the Club World Cup has: 

• Sent $2.1bn to their coffers. 
• Delivered 2.5m in ticket sales. 
• Draw an average crowd of 40,000. 

DAZN, the broadcaster of the tournament, agrees. The media giant said that 5% viewers signed up for premium services eventually. Chelsea vs. Los Angeles brought 8M log-ons on their app. But Infantino knows the fans are yet to get fully behind it. 

It was evident not just from near-empty stadiums, but even when the stadiums were full, the pulsating raw energy that marks European football was nowhere to be found. Except for a few matches that were far and few between.

A key reason was, of course, the timing. This is an add–on to FIFA and UEFA’s already bloated calendar. In any other year, this is the time for preseason friendlies — friendlies like the fateful Manchester United vs. Sporting Lisbon match that brought a 19-year-old kid named Cristiano Ronaldo to global attention. 

On top of it, the Club World Cup is currently suffering from the same problems that LIV Golf ran into. In a sport as emotionally charged fans and passionate supporters as Football, history matters more than money.

FIFA might give the Club World Cup the grandeur of a big tournament, but it can not provide the tournament with history and legacy. And forcefully creating an atmosphere in a bid to create history will only ruin its purpose. Hence, Infantino wants to avoid a two-year Club World Cup.