Club World Cup - Summer 2025

[Tolmie scores]

It is indeed motivated by profit - that said - it's been a very excellent tournament - an exciting watch throughout - and I look forward to the next CWC 4 years hence.

And one that will hamper the success for pl teams in their nextvseason..its a curse being in

 

[johnevans]

@citydad has drained the US beer supply that’s why he’s heading home.

Reminds me of Brendan Behan, the Irish writer and playwright who famously 'liked a drop' and who, on landing at Montreal Airport answered a journalist's question as to why he was visiting, saying:

'Well, at home I saw a bill poster advert saying 'Drink Canada Dry'.. so, I'm here to make a start..'

 

[Gray]

Chelsea got to the final on the joke side of the draw. Also the side of the draw we managed to get ourselves knocked out of.

It shows just how bad we are defensively. We will struggle in the new season unless something drastic is done to improve things.

 

[spiny]

Chelsea in the final. City blew it big time. The money, prestige and global exposure would've cemented City at the top of the elite. Losing to a Saudi team will not have gone down well either.

Sheikh Mansour and Khaldoon will have expected better and will do what ever it takes to achieve their goal for City to be "the best team in the land and all the world". Lots will be going on behind the scenes.

 

[Ithryn Luin]

I think every game in a UK World Cup would sell out.

Think again!

We English have rose tinted memories when we reminisce about Euro 96. The fact is, that apart from games played at Wembley, the others were played in half empty stadia and even the France v Czech semi at the Swamp was played in front of 44,000.

Lets see how many souls turn out for say a Finland v Slovakia group game at Elland Rd in 2028!

 

[Kippax77]

Still fuming with our exit. I was looking forward to going back to New York for a couple of days. Throwing it away against a Saudi team was so poor considering how good we looked against Juventus. It will be even more annoying if Chelsea win it.

They won't.
All the depleted Brazilian teams are out now

 

[Blue Since 76]

Think again!

We English have rose tinted memories when we reminisce about Euro 96. The fact is, that apart from games played at Wembley, the others were played in half empty stadia and even the France v Czech semi at the Swamp was played in front of 44,000.

Lets see how many souls turn out for say a Finland v Slovakia group game at Elland Rd in 2028!

It was probably Euro 96 that kick started current era English football. The PL had just got going, the Euros gave some investment to a few stadia but there was still a pretty bad atmosphere at many games with trouble outside grounds and I think it was expected for the England games in particular.

I also don't know how easy it was to get tickets - I went to the Italy v Germany group game at the swamp but had to get a ticket from someone who knew someone at the Italian consulate and paid well over face value for it.

I think these days, the whole marketing and selling would be better, although if they put games on in the middle of the afternoon, as they have for the CWC, then it could look like the Etihad at 80 minutes.

 

[manimanc]

Chelsea in the final. City blew it big time. The money, prestige and global exposure would've cemented City at the top of the elite. Losing to a Saudi team will not have gone down well either.

Sheikh Mansour and Khaldoon will have expected better and will do what ever it takes to achieve their goal for City to be "the best team in the land and all the world". Lots will be going on behind the scenes.

Global exposure would have cemented us at the top of the elite?

Us winning this competition in 2023 and winning the treble hasn't hit the other side of the world yet I take it?

Have a day off mate.

 

[Citizen of Legoland]

Still fuming with our exit. I was looking forward to going back to New York for a couple of days. Throwing it away against a Saudi team was so poor considering how good we looked against Juventus. It will be even more annoying if Chelsea win it.

I don’t know what the club were doing. They obviously didn’t plan for it because they let the squad deplete and get overplayed so we entered this tournament not really sure if it was good for us or not. Chelsea got lucky that it coincided with their 5th rebuild I guess.

Typical City never really goes away but I also reckon there’s a feeling amongst the European teams that this competition will struggle to get going and I wonder if that’s why we didn’t have it at the forefront of our plans. The money is the ONLY reason they are there, but the competition should be about improving the statures of the smaller clubs and confederations. With 3x Euro teams in the semis, it hasn’t really changed much on that score.

 

[Micky Blue]

It shows just how bad we are defensively. We will struggle in the new season unless something drastic is done to improve things.

I’m blaming Maya Jama, Dias hasn’t been the same since he got with her.

Seriously though we need pace in that back line.
Playing the high line as we do and not having someone with recovery pace is suicidal.

Completely agree though.
We’re going to struggle as we are.

 

[mexico1970]

Global exposure would have cemented us at the top of the elite?

Us winning this competition in 2023 and winning the treble hasn't hit the other side of the world yet I take it?

Have a day off mate.

If I had realised that being top of the pile meant you would have to pay more for everything that in general success on the pitch only affects fans in the pocket i'd have looked at our success differently.

I'm not saying it hasn't been fun, but we've attracted some fans we don't need and given access to our wallets that we would never have imagined ;-)

 

[TheGhost]

Think again!

We English have rose tinted memories when we reminisce about Euro 96. The fact is, that apart from games played at Wembley, the others were played in half empty stadia and even the France v Czech semi at the Swamp was played in front of 44,000.

Lets see how many souls turn out for say a Finland v Slovakia group game at Elland Rd in 2028!

City’s average attendance in 1995-96 was 27k. The football landscape now is very different to then.

The way tickets are sold in groups or by city would help to fill grounds for the less attractive fixtures. Also a country like Finland would bring a surprising number of travelling fans with the introduction of budget airlines since 96.

 

[thegoatsthegoat]

You make some fair comments.
But I disagree with the following.

I think every game in a UK World Cup would sell out.

The premise of a Club World Cup is fine.

But in its current format, with the current number of clubs, at the current time, in the current location, with the football schedule as it is, at the advertised ticket prices, with the lack of interest from both fans and TV companies, and it having to be subsidised by the Saudis in return for the World Cup. Then I think it’s fair to say it’s not a good thing.

I don't think having it in America has made it any better/worse. It would be the same whatever the location

 

[moomba]

Youd never have it in England with all the bitching and moaning that goes on about the comp.

Until the rags and scousers get in I guess.

 

[spiny]

Global exposure would have cemented us at the top of the elite?

Us winning this competition in 2023 and winning the treble hasn't hit the other side of the world yet I take it?

Have a day off mate.

Blinkered or what? There are billions of people in the world. You think most of those who follow football will be equally as aware of City winning a European treble as yourself or value it as much as you?

The CWC is not the same competition that City won in 2023. You are welcome to your opinion if you think the 2023 competition is and of equal importance, generating the same level of exposure and interest as the 2025 CWC.

Stick to your parochial views.

 

[madloaf]

Chelsea in the final. City blew it big time. The money, prestige and global exposure would've cemented City at the top of the elite. Losing to a Saudi team will not have gone down well either.

Sheikh Mansour and Khaldoon will have expected better and will do what ever it takes to achieve their goal for City to be "the best team in the land and all the world". Lots will be going on behind the scenes.

Didn't 150m people watch us beat Inter live and then an estimated global reach of 450m people? Do we think that this CWC is doing those figures? I'm just asking the question.

 

[waspish]

Blinkered or what? There are billions of people in the world. You think most of those who follow football will be equally as aware of City winning a European treble as yourself or value it as much as you?

The CWC is not the same competition that City won in 2023. You are welcome to your opinion if you think the 2023 competition is and of equal importance, generating the same level of exposure and interest as the 2025 CWC.

Stick to your parochial views.

Reported that the Club World Cup have had around 100m worldwide viewers champions league games from last 8 onwards has 6/10 times that!

Maybe in the future it will increase at moment it getting good tv viewing Figures not great!

 

[Brewster's millions]

Chelsea in the final. City blew it big time. The money, prestige and global exposure would've cemented City at the top of the elite. Losing to a Saudi team will not have gone down well either.

Sheikh Mansour and Khaldoon will have expected better and will do what ever it takes to achieve their goal for City to be "the best team in the land and all the world". Lots will be going on behind the scenes.

Quite right - Khaldoon make a point of how seriously we were taking the competition and we rushed through three major signings as well so that we had them available in the campaign.

Given the quality of the competition and the fortunate nature of the draw, reaching the semi-finals really should have been the lower bound of expectations.

 

[TheGhost]

I don’t know what the club were doing. They obviously didn’t plan for it because they let the squad deplete and get overplayed so we entered this tournament not really sure if it was good for us or not. Chelsea got lucky that it coincided with their 5th rebuild I guess.

Typical City never really goes away but I also reckon there’s a feeling amongst the European teams that this competition will struggle to get going and I wonder if that’s why we didn’t have it at the forefront of our plans. The money is the ONLY reason they are there, but the competition should be about improving the statures of the smaller clubs and confederations. With 3x Euro teams in the semis, it hasn’t really changed much on that score.

The clubs who are participating in the CWC are going to get such a big windfall from FIFA that it will probably affect the competitive balance in the leagues that they compete in. They’re going to have so much more money than everyone else in their leagues that you’ll end up with a Bayern in Bundesliga situation with one team dominating.

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

Chelsea looking at minimum £90m now. Not bad for a few weeks work!