The Club World Cup Debate: Klopp Versus Wenger

Arsene Wenger and Juergen Klopp, two legendary managers of the English Premier League, have already passed the times of tactical battles on the field. However, after stepping down from coaching, their rivalry has reignited due to a war of opinions. The two have differing views regarding the 2025 Club World Cup.

Klopp, the former manager of Liverpool, previously criticized the World Cup, which is being held in a full tournament format for the first time this summer. According to him, it is the worst idea that has ever emerged in the history of football. There are concerns that the welfare of the players may be compromised.

Wenger, as the head of global football development at FIFA, defended the continuation of the tournament. "I will provide a boring answer to an interesting question. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I do not agree with Klopp's view," he stated on Friday (11/7/2025).

"I feel that a Club World Cup like this is truly needed. If you were to ask all the clubs participating in this competition today, I am 100 percent sure they would want to do it again (compete). Essentially, that is the best answer," continued the former Arsenal manager.

The format of the World Cup has changed drastically. Typically, the tournament is held annually with seven participants from six confederations. European representative clubs, such as Manchester in the 2023 edition, only needed two matches to win the competition that takes place in the middle of the season.

This year's tournament features 32 teams. The competition lasts for a full month. Each team plays three matches in the group stage. If they qualify, they will begin their journey from the round of 16. This means that seven matches are needed to become champions. The difference is that the tournament is held every four years.

Klopp is very concerned because the tournament will reduce the players' rest time. Players in Europe and South America usually have the opportunity to rest in the summer every two years. In odd-numbered years, there are no tournaments such as the World Cup, the European Championship, or Copa America.

This is different. "Last year there was the Copa del Rey and the European Championship, this year the Club World Cup, and next year the World Cup. That means there's no meaningful recovery for players, either physically or mentally. Without sufficient rest, players risk injury and the quality of their play will decline," Klopp said in an interview with German media outlet Welt am Sonntag.

Wenger's opinion is not wrong at all. If time could be turned back, the participating clubs would certainly choose to compete again. Money is one of the main factors. Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, for instance. Both finalists have already earned more than 100 million US dollars in less than a month.

The Brazilian club Fluminense could even take home 60 million US dollars by reaching the semifinals. The prize for the competition is already more than half of the total value of their squad, which is only around 100 million US dollars. From a financial perspective, the tournament is indeed very lucrative.

On a global scale, the majority of players would certainly not mind participating. Especially those from outside Europe. Players from clubs in the Americas or Asia have the opportunity to compete against major European teams. Moreover, leagues outside Europe are still actively competing.

Wenger's perspective differs from Klopp's. While Wenger focuses on the needs of the club, the audience, and players on a global scale, Klopp prioritizes the well-being of the players. In particular, the players from European clubs, which are the epicenter of world football.

Just look at the current PSG squad. Exactly one month after the Club World Cup final on Monday (14/7/2025) in the early hours of WIB, they will have to face Tottenham Hotspur in the battle for the UEFA Super Cup trophy in mid-August. So, when will they have time to rest?

Other clubs that did not participate in the World Cup, such as Tottenham, have already been on break since the end of May. They have even started their pre-season training at the beginning of this week. Ultimately, the rest period for the PSG squad will be shortened as they must train again before the new season.

Recommendations from the International Federation of Professional Footballers (Fifpro) regarding player protection are becoming increasingly difficult to implement. They recommend that players receive a four-week rest period and four weeks of training time before the new season. This means there would be a gap of approximately two months between seasons.

The issue of welfare has become a serious concern for players. Manchester City midfielder Rodri stated in September 2024 that players were very close to forming a protest movement regarding the congested schedule. Ironically, Rodri became a victim of a serious injury just a week after that statement.

As a result, whose opinion is more correct between Wenger and Klopp? The answer is difficult to find. Both figures have valid points for their respective priorities. If debated, it would only become a never-ending argument.

However, a significant question mark is directed at Wenger. A few years ago, after becoming part of FIFA, he also proposed the absurd idea of holding the World Cup every two years.

The question is, would Wenger have come in with a similar mindset if he were still in charge? I don't think so. (AP/REUTERS)