FIFA invites bids to broadcast Club World Cup, just 11 months before the start of the 32-team event in the USA

GENEVA — Just 11 months before the first 32-team men’s Club World Cup, FIFA on Monday sought bids for broadcast rights to the 63-match tournament in the United States.

FIFA published a “call for tenders for the Americas, Asia, Middle East and North Africa” ​​weeks after talks with tech giant Apple over an exclusive global rights deal reportedly ran into difficulties.

FIFA said a second phase of rights sales for the 2025 and 2029 Club World Cups would follow in Europe. Football’s richest and strongest continent will send 12 teams to the revamped tournament, scheduled to take place from June 15 to July 13, including major attractions Real Madrid, Manchester City and Bayern Munich.

Reviving the lucrative Club World Cup has been a major concern for FIFA President Gianni Infantino since his election in 2016. The participating teams are to be paid prize money in the tens of millions.

However, the value of a possible Apple deal was seen as a problem by the influential European Club Association (ECA), led by Nasser al-Khelaïfi, the president of Paris Saint-Germain, who is also on the Club World Club squad.

FIFA said on Monday it would involve the ECA in “an innovative, progressive consultation and decision-making process” regarding the tournament.

Through a joint venture with the competition organiser UEFA, the ECA already has a major say in commercial decisions relating to the Champions League.

It is unclear which broadcast model FIFA now prefers or whether it will rely on its in-house streaming service FIFA+ in some markets.

Eligibility for the Club World Cup is determined by winning titles and consistently good results in continental championships from 2020 to 2024. Only three teams remain to be determined: two from South America and one from the host league, Major League Soccer.

The Club World Cup is a month-long tournament held every four years in June and July. For almost two decades it was held every December as a small annual event for continental champions. The European champions have won 16 of the last 17 titles.

The FIFA club tournament will also be a dress rehearsal for the 2026 men’s World Cup, which will be held in some of the same stadiums in the United States that are co-hosting with Canada and Mexico.

FIFA has not yet announced which cities will host the revamped Club World Cup, nor has it signed any separate sponsorship deals. However, funding from Saudi Arabia is expected. The annual event was previously bundled with World Cup contracts.

Despite concerns about crowded schedules for top players, the first 32-team Club World Cup will see the finalists play just seven matches at the end of a season. This season, Europe’s Champions League will also expand to include more teams and matches in a new format.