FIFA's Wenger Defends Expanded 32-Team Club World Cup After Klopp Criticism

Arsene Wenger, FIFA's chief of global football development, has dismissed Jurgen Klopp's criticism of the expanded 32-team Club World Cup, defending the tournament as a 'fantastic competition' that enjoys strong support from participating teams, players, and managers. Wenger emphasized that all clubs involved would be eager to participate again, citing higher-than-expected attendance as evidence of fan interest. While acknowledging issues such as challenging weather conditions and varying pitch quality, Wenger noted that FIFA is learning from these experiences to better prepare for the 2026 World Cup in North America. Klopp had previously called the tournament 'the worst idea ever invented,' voicing concerns about player overload and potential injuries in an already congested schedule. Critics have pointed out that some matches suffered from low attendance and mismatched contests, but FIFA's ticketing strategies reportedly improved turnout for high-profile games. Wenger remains confident about the competition's future, stating it will continue to be held every four years and that improvements will be made based on recent lessons.