Jurgen Klopp isn’t known for sugarcoating his words — and this time, he’s aimed his fire straight at FIFA.
The former Liverpool boss, who helped bring the Reds their first Premier League title in three decades, has slammed the newly expanded FIFA Club World Cup, calling it “the worst idea ever implemented in football.” No holding back. No diplomatic footwork. Just Klopp, saying what many in the football world are likely thinking.
Speaking to Germany’s Die Welt, Klopp shredded the 32-team tournament format, set to become a permanent fixture every four years. His biggest concern? The players. And the brutal, unforgiving schedule they’re now being dragged through.
“Whoever wins it will be the worst winner of all time,” Klopp said bluntly. “They’ll have played all summer and then gone straight back into the league.”
That’s not hyperbole — just look at the calendar. The 2025 edition, already underway in the U.S., kicked off on June 14, a mere two weeks after the Champions League final. It won’t wrap up until mid-July. That gives players almost zero time to recover before domestic leagues roar back into action.
“People Who’ve Never Played a Game Making the Rules”
Klopp didn’t stop at scheduling. He went straight for the jugular of the decision-makers.
“These are people who have never been involved in the day-to-day business of football and are now coming up with ideas.”
It’s a damning indictment of FIFA’s top brass — many of whom, he suggests, are disconnected from the real-life grind of professional football. Klopp fears their choices are pushing the game — and its players — toward a breaking point.
Injuries, mental burnout, shortened careers — all on the horizon if things keep moving in this direction. “It’s too many games,” Klopp warned. “I fear that next season we’ll see injuries like never before. If not then, they’ll come during or after the Club World Cup.”
A Football Legend Still Fighting for the Game
Though Klopp stepped away from Liverpool at the end of last season, he hasn’t walked away from the sport. Now serving as head of global soccer for Red Bull, overseeing clubs like RB Leipzig and the New York Red Bulls, he’s using his platform to speak up — and speak loudly.
He may no longer be prowling the touchline at Anfield, but Klopp’s voice still carries weight. In an era when football seems increasingly driven by dollars, sponsorships, and bloated formats, Klopp is doing what few at his level are willing to do: call out the insanity.
One Big Question Remains
Is Klopp just venting, or is this the canary in the coal mine for football’s future? Are we watching the beautiful game slowly collapse under the weight of corporate greed and endless fixtures?
What do you think — is Klopp right to sound the alarm?
Drop your thoughts below & repost.
