Concerns over FIFA’s search for a broadcaster for the Club World Cup

Talks about Apple being the broadcaster for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup have officially broken down. The two sides had previously been negotiating for months. The sport’s world governing body reportedly estimated the value of a media partnership for the tournament at around $4 billion. However, Apple has balked at the request after reportedly only considering up to $1 billion.

Due to the stalemate, FIFA is now trying to recruit other broadcasters. The world governing body has launched a call for media companies to bid for the rights to the competition. This includes not only the 2025 tournament, but also the 2029 one. The Club World Cup will soon only take place every four years.

“This tender process for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 and the FIFA Club World Cup 2029 will enable FIFA to select the organisation or organisations best placed to secure the required broadcast and programming commitments on a global, regional or territory-specific basis,” FIFA said in a statement. “A second phase covering Europe as well as sub-Saharan Africa will be implemented; precise timelines will be announced in due course.”

Withdrawal of a broadcaster increases pressure on the Club World Cup

Apple’s reluctance to comply with FIFA’s demands is telling. The giant media company certainly has plenty of money to spend on exclusive broadcasting rights to sporting events, as evidenced by its previous deals with Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball here in the United States.

Nevertheless, Apple apparently believes that FIFA is setting the rights fee for the Club World Cup significantly too high. The tournament is not particularly popular with many football fans. It is still unclear how much the world association will receive from a broadcaster as part of the tender.

In addition to the financial aspects, there are other potential concerns for Apple. First of all, the expanded Club World Cup may not take place at all. FIFA had previously announced that the competition would be expanded from seven to 32 teams for the 2025 tournament. This move sparked almost immediate outrage among players and coaches.

In May, it was even announced that an international players’ union was planning a lawsuit against FIFA. The crux of the potential legal case revolves directly around the 2025 Club World Cup. Players have raised health and safety concerns related to extended dates such as the aforementioned tournament.

The Copa America 2024 was a terrible dress rehearsal for the 2026 World Cup

There are also concerns about foreign fans potentially coming to the United States to attend the games. Millions of fans will be coming to America in the lead up to the 2026 World Cup. Although the 2025 Club World Cup is a smaller competition, people from all over the world will still flock to the United States. It has already been revealed that there could be visa issues for the majority of these soccer fans.

Even if potential visa issues are resolved, there are new security concerns due to the rather disastrous Copa America 2024. A brawl between Colombian fans and Uruguayan players overshadowed the tournament in the United States last week. The stars of La Celeste criticized the competition’s organizers after claiming that security personnel failed to protect their families. The lack of security saw select Uruguayan players enter the stands to fend off opposing fans.

Just days after the debacle, chaos reigned at the Copa America final. The match between Colombia and Argentina was significantly delayed because fans without tickets stormed into the stadium. The fans certainly bore some of the blame for their behavior. The organizers had also failed to implement the necessary safety measures and crowd control.

The 2025 Club World Cup is less than a year away and there is still no broadcast partner. Apple’s decision to pull out is likely to spell trouble for FIFA. The giant technology company previously seemed like the most logical and natural partner for the governing body.

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