What The 2025 Club World Cup Will Bring To One Of Asia’s Top Sides
Jo Hyeon-woo from Ulsan Hyundai is seen celebrating the victory of his team in the AFC Champions League quarterfinal match against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. This exciting moment took place at the Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan, South Korea on March 12, 2024. (Photo credit: Han Myung-Gu/Getty Images)
The upcoming 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is less than a year away, but there are uncertainties surrounding the possibility of the 32-team tournament taking place.
The cities where the tournament will be held have not been chosen yet, important sponsorship and television agreements have not been finalized, and players are considering refusing to participate in the competition.
However, the majority of the backlash has originated from Europe, whereas teams from other regions of the world see the tournament as a potential game changer.
The South Korean team Ulsan HD earned their spot in the tournament due to their ranking in the Asian Football Confederation over the past four years. They are excited to compete in the Club World Cup.
Kim Kwang-kug, the CEO of Ulsan HD, is expecting that this event will lead to the largest expansion in the club's 42-year existence.
He believes that participating in the Club World Cup will help Ulsan improve in many areas such as performance, management, and fan engagement.
Teams from more than 20 countries will participate in the tournament, facing off in a minimum of three group matches against teams from various regions.
In the past, the format of the Club World Cup didn't allow for this opportunity. During the 2020 tournament, Ulsan only played against Tigres from Mexico and Al-Duhail from Qatar. Kim is excited about the idea of facing top teams from around the world and increasing the recognition of their team.
The coach of Ulsan during the 2020 Club World Cup, Hong Myung-bo, talked about the tournament coming to an unsatisfactory end because of the pandemic and the team not being perfect. He mentioned that Ulsan is looking forward to the 2025 Club World Cup as a chance to demonstrate their abilities.
In addition to facing top international clubs, teams like Ulsan will also receive a large sum of money. CEO Kim believes this financial boost will greatly benefit the club's finances. It will enable them to not only recruit talented players who can make an instant impact, but also support the development of future young talents.
Money is a big factor in why this tournament takes place. UEFA makes money from the European Championships and the Champions League every year, but FIFA only gets a big payday every four years from the World Cup.
There is a significant amount of money in football, especially in Europe. If the expanded Club World Cup is successful, FIFA will have two lucrative events every four years, allowing them to have more resources to potentially share some wealth with other confederations.
The footballers' associations are warning FIFA about the Club World Cup affecting players' well-being and may take legal action. However, these players belong to clubs that supported increasing the UEFA Champions League this season and are also going on extended pre-season tours in the U.S. FIFA argues that its matches will only make up a small percentage of the total games played by teams in continental competitions.
Hong mentions that unlike European teams, who can view this tournament as a warm-up tour before their season starts, Ulsan must take a unique approach to prepare for the Club World Cup since it falls in the middle of their season.
Even with the additional matches, the Ulsan team is excited for the upcoming competition.
Kim Kee-hee, the leader of the team in Ulsan, mentioned that he might play against his old team, Seattle Sounders, in the Club World Cup. He mentioned that the competition will be challenging and the atmosphere will be intense, but he is more focused on the thrill of the tournament rather than any concerns.
