The inaugural 32-team Fifa Club World Cup starts this weekend and nobody knows quite what to expect. A low-profile annual seven-team format is being replaced by a 32-team contest every four years.

— FIFA Club World Cup (@FIFACWC) December 4, 2024 Most venues are on or near the U.S. east coast because of its proximity to Europe, which will send 12 teams, and which boasts coveted media markets.

FIFA World Cup 2026, on January 27, kicked off its 500 day countdown to the first match, to be played in Mexico. Seattle will host its first match, days later, on June 15.

But former Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge not only disagrees with the critique but finds the new format fabulous, ...