Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has defended the Club World Cup after former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp publicly criticised the tournament as "the worst idea ever implemented in football".
Earlier in June, Klopp called the Club World Cup "a meaningless competition", expressing concerns about the dense competition, insufficient recovery time for players, and the risk of "witnessing unprecedented injuries".
However, Wenger – who is now FIFA's chief of global football development – insists the tournament is necessary. "Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I completely disagree with Jurgen Klopp," he said. "I think the Club World Cup is a competition that should be there. If you ask all the clubs that have participated, 100% would say they want it to be held."
Wenger stressed that the important thing is whether the fans are interested in the tournament. "We thought the attendance would be low, but it's much higher. That shows the fans are interested," he shared.
However, the level of interest in the tournament remains a controversial topic. Some matches have seen record low attendances, especially for smaller teams. However, fans from South America have traveled to the United States in large numbers to support their teams, creating a lively atmosphere in some stadiums.
In addition, harsh weather conditions have also raised concerns. Temperatures in recent matches in the US have reached over 35°C, affecting the health of players and the quality of the pitch. This has also raised concerns for the 2026 World Cup, which will take place in the summer in the US, Canada and Mexico.
Wenger acknowledged there had been problems but said FIFA had learned a lot. "We will have more covered stadiums. Television times will be more reasonable. The high temperatures were a challenge, but we tried to overcome them by giving water breaks and watering the pitch," he explained.
"We have done research and found that temperatures above 35°C mainly affect sprinting, not endurance running. Teams need to be well prepared to compete in such conditions," Wenger added.
The Club World Cup final will take place this weekend at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, USA – the venue for the 2026 World Cup final. The match will be a competition between Chelsea and PSG – two of Europe's top representatives.
The 2026 World Cup, the first major tournament to feature 48 national teams, will open on June 11 and end on July 19, 2026. It will be the first World Cup to be held simultaneously in three North American countries.
According to QUOC TIEP (according to The Independent)/Nguoi Dua Tin
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