Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has criticised the introduction of the expanded Club World Cup format, calling it the worst idea ever implemented in football.

During an interview with German publication Die Welt published on Friday, Klopp said the tournament “ the worst idea ever implemented ” in the sport. The new format now features a 32-team event, which occurs every four years during the preseason in the summers between the major international tournaments.

His three-word statement, used during a passionate interview with German outlet Welt am Sonntag, left no room for ambiguity — and has since reverberated throughout the soccer world. As the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup marches through its newly expanded 32-team format,