FIFA's plan to expand the Club World Cup has not exactly been plain sailing since it was first announced.
Gianni Infantino first told the footballing world in 2019 that the tournament would become a 32-team event with 63 matches in the finals. Covid then cancelled the 2021 finals (not a great start) but the main issue is the criticism from global player union FIFPRO, who have raised concerns over player welfare due to the extra fixtures.
The scheduling of the Club World Cup, at the end of what is already a long hard season, is controversial. But another major problem has come in the form of no television broadcast deal for the tournament. Now, at the 11th hour, FIFA have reached an agreement.
Who will broadcast the FIFA Club World Cup?
FIFA announced they have agreed now a broadcast deal for the Club World Cup with DAZN.
However, this only came after the governing body struggled to sell the rights initially. FIFA had been in talks with tech giant Apple, only for those negotiations to collapse.
Infantino, FIFA president, was even forced to call an emergency briefing back in September with TV bosses, in an attempt to secure an arrangement.
Only days before the draw for the group stage takes place, FIFA have now finally confirmed DAZN will broadcast the competition.
The deal is reportedly worth close to £829m ($1billion) which ensures every single game will be broadcast on the streaming service. As things stand, the current plan is for DAZN to stream every game for free on their platforms, although they could potentially sublicense rights to local free-to-air broadcasters.
FIFA boss Infantino said: "Through this broadcasting agreement, billions of football fans worldwide can now watch what will be the most widely accessible club football tournament ever - and for free."
Who are DAZN?
An international streaming service, DAZN have expanded in recent years primarily through their boxing coverage, securing some the biggest fights in the sport, including Tyson Fury's heavyweight clash with Oleksandr Usyk.
Ahead of the Club World Cup next summer, they had already moved into the football sphere, streaming the UEFA Women's Champions League for free on their YouTube channel in recent seasons.
In the UK they also sub-license games from that tournament to TNT Sports. A similar arrangement could be made between DAZN and a broadcaster for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup as part of this agreement.
English sides Chelsea and Manchester City will compete in the tournament, after qualifying as recent Champions League winners. Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Boca Juniors and River Plate will also take part.
Also involved are Lionel Messi's Inter Miami, which is also a host city. All games will take place on the east side of the USA. The final will be played at the MetLife Stadium in New York, on July 13, 2025.
