FIFA officials and former stars mounted a united defence of the newly expanded 32-team Club World Cup after Jurgen Klopp labelled the tournament “the worst idea ever”. Arsene Wenger, FIFA’s chief of global football development, said “100 percent” of participating clubs would take part again, rejecting Klopp’s claim that the competition overloads an already crowded calendar. Speaking in New York ahead of Sunday’s Chelsea-Paris Saint-Germain final at MetLife Stadium, FIFA president Gianni Infantino called the event an “enormous success”, citing almost US$2 billion in revenue, an average crowd of about 40,000 and a projected worldwide television audience of 500 million for the final. Infantino acknowledged concerns over fixture congestion and heat but argued that the benefits to clubs and fans outweigh the drawbacks. Former World Cup winners Ronaldo Nazario and Hristo Stoichkov echoed the defence, dismissing criticism from Klopp and LaLiga president Javier Tebas. Ronaldo said those opposed to the tournament “hate everything except LaLiga”, while Stoichkov insisted the format gives clubs and supporters a global showcase. The back-and-forth underscores the growing rift between FIFA and parts of Europe’s football establishment as the governing body pushes ahead with its lucrative new competition.