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The Club World Cup has been viewed by many as a preliminary test for the 2026 World Cup, where 48 teams will compete for the global title across Mexico, Canada, and the United States.
Five of the venues used in the past month—Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Hard Rock Stadium, MetLife Stadium, Lincoln Financial Field, and Lumen Field—are also slated to host matches next year.
What insights has the Club World Cup provided about the upcoming event? Are there any lessons FIFA can glean?
Former Manchester City and Tottenham midfielder Michael Brown, who served as a co-commentator for DAZN at 10 games across five cities, told BBC Sport: "I feel the tournament has been an excellent test for the World Cup."
Record-breaking Heat and Violent Storms
Record-breaking heat and violent storms disrupted the tournament, possibly foreshadowing next year’s events. U.S. regulations require play to be halted when lightning is detected within a 10-mile radius, with a mandatory 30-minute wait after the storm passes before resuming play.
Six games experienced delays ranging from 40 minutes to two hours. Two Benfica matches, against Auckland and Chelsea, were delayed by approximately 120 minutes. The Chelsea game was paused with only four minutes remaining, during which Benfica equalized before Chelsea secured victory in extra time.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca remarked, "I think it's a joke, to be honest. It's not football. It's completely something new. I struggle to understand—if you suspend seven or eight games, then it's probably not the right place to hold the competition."
FIFA was fortunate that storms did not affect evening games, which could have resulted in postponements to the following day, a potential issue for next year.
Chelsea was among several teams struggling with extreme heat. New York saw temperatures soar to 39°C, with humidity making it feel over 50°C on the heat index.
According to Fifpro, nine of the 16 host cities next year pose a "very high" or "extremely high" risk of heat stress injuries during the tournament. Clubs had to arrange shorter training sessions, with Maresca noting, "otherwise you don't save energy for the game."
Ten Juventus players requested substitutions during their defeat by Real Madrid, according to their manager Igor Tudor. Borussia Dortmund substitutes watched the first half of a game from the changing room to avoid the sun, and manager Niko Kovac stated he was "sweating like I've just come out of a sauna."
PSG boss Luis Enrique commented, "It's not good for the spectacle because it's difficult to play in that position."
Meanwhile, sniffer dogs at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia wore Crocs due to the heat of the concrete.
Brown told BBC Sport, "The weather has obviously been something all the teams have had to deal with. It's affected the fans too—some days, the heat was so extreme. It was just ridiculous and is something that will affect everyone next year. Teams and fans will need to be prepared."
On the plus side, there will be five stadiums with roofs, unlike this summer's single covered venue in Atlanta, but the expansion to 48 teams means significant risks remain.
Potential solutions include scheduling kick-off times to avoid playing in hot cities during midday, as often happened at the Club World Cup. Seven venues used this summer will not be utilized in 2026.
Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, FIFA's chief of global football development, said, "The weather has been hot, but of course, we can look at kick-off times, review, and possibly consider holding games earlier in the day at stadiums with roofs."
Will the Crowds Turn Out for USA 2026?
The past month has seen varied attendance figures, ranging from sold-out events to embarrassingly sparse crowds. Four matches attracted fewer than 10,000 fans, with the lowest attendance being 3,412 for Mamelodi Sundowns' 1-0 victory over Ulsan HD.
However, there were 17 crowds of 60,000 or more, with the highest being 81,118 for Chelsea's win over Paris St-Germain in the final. Most of the highest attendances were at games involving PSG or Real Madrid.
"We believe the attendances were projected as low, but in reality, they were much higher," said Wenger.
Another reason cited for low attendances is the kick-off times, with many games at noon or 3 PM on weekdays.
American journalist Doug Roberson commented after Chelsea's opener against Los Angeles, which attracted just 22,000: "It's not because people here don't care about soccer. The people aren't here because it's Monday at 3 PM. Frankly, I am surprised there are as many as there are.
"It's a tournament that doesn't mean a lot to people in the US because it's new. I would imagine paying to attend a tournament you don't know didn't appeal because the World Cup is coming next year, and people are trying to save money for that.
"If I were FIFA, for the World Cup, I would schedule game times when more people could attend. It's something to think about, and the ticket prices were ridiculous."
Jonathan Tannenwald, chief soccer correspondent for the Philadelphia Inquirer, said, "We will all show up for the World Cup next summer, but for the Club World Cup, they needed to market it to explain."
FIFA is expected to maintain the same kick-off times for next summer's World Cup, relying on the tournament's appeal to attract crowds and encouraging local fans to take time off work to attend matches.
The Gold Cup has also been ongoing, played at non-Club World Cup venues in the US, drawing attention from TV audiences. This competing factor will not be an issue next year.
FIFA's policy of dynamic ticket pricing, where ticket costs fluctuate, has been controversial and is expected to continue for next year's tournament. Ticket prices for Chelsea's semi-final against Fluminense reportedly dropped from nearly £350 to less than £10 in the week leading up to the game. Tickets for the Blues' quarter-final against Palmeiras fell to £8, with fans discussing having paid over £250 when they first went on sale.
Brown remarked, "When I've been traveling, it feels like many Americans are starting to talk about it now and know it's happening—whoever you speak to, they say, 'oh yeah, it's the football.'"
"It's still growing, of course—the public's awareness of it has improved significantly compared to a few years ago, but there's still a way to go, not just to spread the word that it's happening but to get people here used to attending football games or watching matches on TV."
"It's not yet the main sport here, but that's the next step. There's so much room for growth."
