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FIFA'S REVAMPED CLUB WORLD CUP TAKES PLACE IN THE UNITED STATES THIS MONTH BUT THE CHANGE IN FORMAT HAS BECOME A CONCERN FOR ONE OF CRISTIANO RONALDO'S FORMER TEAM-MATES MICHAEL

HAM 22:00, 31 May 2025 Louis Saha has branded FIFA’s new Club World Cup format as “insane”, “crazy” and “a circus” while saying it is obvious clubs and football’s governing body “simply

don’t care” about players. The expanded tournament, which starts on June 14 in the USA, will have 32 teams involved playing in eight groups of four, with qualifiers going through to a round

of 16 and a total of 63 matches. It is a huge increase on the seven total matches from the last version of the tournament which took place in 2023 and has led to accusations of it putting at

risk the welfare of players involved. Saha, who missed out on Manchester United’s Club World Cup win in 2008 after moving to Everton following their Champions League victory the season

before, is not a fan of the revamp and believes it is nothing more than a cash grab. He said: “I hate it. I see the damage done to players and their creativity. I am worried for their

welfare, and this is one of my biggest concerns. “I think back to a few years ago when the authorities wanted to stop the European Super League and now they’re looking at ways to earn more

money, to produce a huge financial incentive for clubs, hundreds of millions of pounds being up for grabs. “The teams want the money, of course, and I understand why that is appealing to

clubs and FIFA, but we can’t pretend that they care about the players and the demands we’re putting on them. Article continues below "They simply don’t care. I think that, as a result,

you’re going to see some players sit it out and maybe some teams just won’t field their strongest sides. You might get some interesting first elevens put out with some sides taking care of

exhausted players. "It’s also not a practical time to launch another tournament with a transfer window just for the competition and then also the normal transfer window. Players aren’t

going to be able to focus properly, and their minds are going to be on their longer-term future. It’s all wrong. “I know some fans could be intrigued, but the format is insane. 32 teams, a

month long, it’s crazy. You could try something shorter, a couple of weeks maybe and see how it goes. I know football is a business, but this almost makes me want to boycott it.” FIFA

president Gianni Infantino said last week it might be possible that Cristiano Ronaldo could still play in the tournament and said “discussions” were taking place with various clubs after

Ronaldo’s Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr failed to qualify. Saha, a former team-mate of Ronaldo at Old Trafford, has warned the Portuguese not to tarnish his legacy by making such a move.

Speaking to 10bet, he added: “Gianni Infantino talking about maybe getting Cristiano Ronaldo to the Club World Cup, it’s a circus. “When I look at the World Cup and how he played, things

didn’t favour him. It could be fun to see him against his great rival Lionel Messi. Of course, Cristiano still wants to shine on the biggest stages and he still wants to win trophies.

Article continues below "The Club World Cup gives him the chance to add another trophy to his legacy, and maybe that’s what Infantino is trying to do, to tempt him to appear this

summer. But the fact is, this tournament is crazy. "I can’t tell Ronaldo that it’s a good idea for him to lend it his credibility, because it’s just not good for football. It’s going to

cause damage. It’s a commercial activity, not a sporting one. The Champions League is enough – we don’t need this.” LOUIS SAHA WAS SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF 10BET. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT

10BET.