Too much pressure from the Club World Cup? Reporter says: "Players are not innocent"
The 2025 Club World Cup now has a winner: Chelsea FC. However, the tournament was already viewed critically before it began – for example, due to the excessive strain placed on the players by the increasing number of matches. FOCUS online sports editor Dominik Rosing explains his perspective.
The first year of the Club World Cup is now over. Chelsea FC is the winner . But even before the tournament began, there was criticism of FIFA's new event.
A frequently cited criticism is that another regularly scheduled tournament means even more games for the players. The Club World Cup will reduce the number of days off even further. Dominik Rosing, sports editor at FOCUS-online, says: "Top stars now play 60 games per year – just for their own team. Then the national team comes into play. These high demands also lead to injuries."
After such a long season, the players are simply overworked. But Rosing also makes it clear: "The players aren't entirely innocent in this development. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said it years ago and never tires of repeating it. If players and agents demand ever-increasing salaries, signing-on fees, transfer fees, bonuses, etc., clubs have to find ways to raise more money. And how do they get more money? By playing more games."
The Club World Cup is scheduled to take place every four years. This means that such major tournaments will take place almost every year: the European Championship took place in 2024, followed by the World Cup for national teams in 2026, both of which take place every four years.
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