I don't agree with Jürgen Klopp - Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger

Arsène Wenger has firmly responded to former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp’s scathing criticism of FIFA’s expanded 32-team Club World Cup, branding the revamped tournament a “fantastic competition” that has received overwhelming support from clubs, players, and coaches involved.

Klopp, speaking with German newspaper Die Welt two weeks ago, labelled the new summer format as “the worst idea ever invented”.

However, Wenger, now FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, pushed back at a FIFA Technical Study Group briefing in New York on Thursday, saying the event has proved its value both on and off the pitch.

“Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and I don’t share Jürgen Klopp’s view at all,” Wenger said.

He added, “I feel that a real Club World Cup was needed. And if you inquire today with all the clubs that participated, I’m confident 100% of them would want to do this again. That’s the best response.”

Wenger also pointed to surprisingly high fan turnout at matches across the United States as evidence that the global football audience is embracing the competition.

“Do the fans like it? That’s the decisive question. Attendance projections were low, but in reality, they were much higher. The answer is there,” Wenger added.

The tournament has also acted as a crucial dress rehearsal for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to be jointly hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

Wenger admitted that while the summer heat posed some logistical and health challenges, FIFA has already begun making adjustments.

“The heat in some games was a problem. We tried to combat that with cooling breaks and watering the pitches during halftime. It’s something we’re learning from,” he admitted.

Wenger noted that cities like Orlando had issues with pitch conditions due to the heat, though he praised the natural grass surfaces used, singling out Philadelphia’s pitch as a “benchmark” for future FIFA tournaments.

The tournament concludes on Sunday with a heavyweight final between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea at the iconic MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.