FIFA Boss Gianni Infantino Views Criticism As 'A Source To Study And Analyse' Ahead Of CWC 2025 Final

Last Updated:July 13, 2025, 12:26 IST

Ahead of the summit clash between PSG and Chelsea, Infantino lauded the revamped edition of the Club World Cup a success, despite various criticism.

FILE - FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks to the media at a welcoming event for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup soccer tournament, April 10, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola, file)

The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 comes to a close on Monday with PSG taking on Chelsea in the final of the revamped edition of the event at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Ahead of the summit clash, FIFA chief Gianni Infantino lauded the tournament a success, despite criticisms from multiple quarters citing various issues, including extreme heat and a congested calendar.

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While attendance at the event came under scrutiny as well, Infantino opined that he would rather have a larger number of fans filling larger stadiums, even if it meant that the venue wasn’t completely sold out.

“Of course, every criticism that we receive is a source for us to study, to analyse to see what we can do better," Infantino said.

“I prefer to put, I don’t know, 35,000 people in an 80,000-seater stadium rather than 20,000 in a 20,000-seater stadium," he added.

The Swiss-Italian acknowledged that the heat was indeed an issues and opined that hosting games in stadium with roofs could prove beneficial for the players during the upcoming FIFA World Cup.

“The heat is definitely an issue. It’s an issue all over the world… We have stadiums as well, which are covered. So, we’ll definitely use these stadiums more in the day," the 55-year-old added.

He also brushed off speculation that fans in Europe found the idea of the FIFA CWC in North America unflattering and revealed that his interaction with sides and spectators who made the trip to the USA proved otherwise.

“We shouldn’t say that the opinion of Europe on this is very bad because it’s not true," Infantino said.

“I have been speaking to the teams who came here. They’ve all been happy to come here. To the fans who came here, they’ve all been happy to come here," he explained.

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Trump (In The) House

The President of the United States Of America, Donald Trump, is scheduled to be in attendance for the final between UEFA Champions League winners PSG and Premier League heavyweights Chelsea.

“Trump embraced, immediately, the importance of the FIFA Club World Cup. And then, of course, of the World Cup next year," Infantino said.

“You cannot even think of organising an event like this, like the Club World Cup without the full engagement and full support of the government," he elucidated.

The King’s Word

World Cup-winning Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazario also seconded Infantino’s thoughts on the revamped multi-club competition.

“I just saw two guys doing the critiques about FIFA Club World Cup. One of them, he hates everything else but the Liga," Ronaldo said.

“And the other – we respect the opinion, but I think as the president told you about the facts and the numbers and the enthusiasm of the people and the fans and the quality of the games, I think it has been a huge success," the former Brazil star said.

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