The NFL extorts billions of dollars out of tax payers to build grand palaces that increase profits for the league's teams. Part of the way they do this is to convince taxpayers that the stadiums will be used more than 10 times a year. Thus the NFL likes soccer events. True, they like them more in the off-season, but the semi finals and final are within 4 or 5 days of eachother; so you really are asking a team to play one weekend away (probably two, but they could even do the Thursday night (or even regular Sunday) game at home, then host one semi Tuesday, one Wed, the final Sunday; and they are ready to roll like usual the next weekend). Its not that big an ask, and then they'll hit the tax payers of for a billion more...
Said it earlier but Vegas seems a natural. And now that they are looking to get the new stadium it makes even more sense. The issue obviously is the money but if any city in the US could come close to justifying the price tag it's Vegas. Even the timing is perfect for them. Generally in the US people don't take vacations between Thanksgiving and Christmas so it's the slowest time there. But guessing the price is still too high.
Now that Alibaba has replaced Toyota as the presenting partner I would expect the CWC to move to China after the UAE in 2019.
L.A. has the perfect December climate to host this competition when LAFC's new stadium opens. A capacity of 22k is more than enough to host matches involving the low-drawing teams. Matches involving the high-drawing teams from Europe and Mexico can be played next door at the Coliseum. The tournament falls at the right time on the MLS calendar because the U.S. host representative would be able to jump into the competition a week or two after the MLS Cup final concludes.
This year the Club World Cup starts 2 days before MLS Cup. To avoid conflicting with NCAA Football conference championship games, MLS Cup was made a week later this year, but even if MLS Cup was was 5 days before the Club World Cup I think the champion could do worse in the Club World Cup if they had less than a week of rest before it. I don't think the timing works unless MLS reduces the amount of regular season games, has playoff games in November while players are with national teams, or reduces the amount of playoff games by making each round one game at the better club.
I think 5 days would work should the MLS (host representative) club get as far as the MLS cup final. Not ideal, but no unthinkable. As far as choosing the host club to represent, you'd have to use the previous season's MLS cup winner or the current season's Supporters Shield.
To date FIFA has never played CWC matches in grounds with less than 40K capacity. That may change however next year due to necessity. The UAE only has two 40K stadiums in the entire country and one of them will be undergoing renovation for the 2019 AFC Nations Cup. So the beautiful Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium (22K) should get the nod as secondary venue: Well, Japan with its new "playoff format" will only have 5 days between their final and the CWC opener this year. Don't think FIFA would like a team that isn't the MLS Cup winner (i.e. league winner) of a particular year so MLS would be in a similar situation.
The possible 32-team June-July Club World Cup would work in the USA or Canada. I should find my previous post, but my idea was it to be completely single-elimination, no group stage. Eight European teams [seeds EUR-1 to EUR-8]; eight South American teams [seeds SA-1 to SA-8], sixteen Rest-of-World teams [seeds ROW-1 to ROW-8 times two]. A fixed-bracket would pair EUR/SA-1 against ROW-8 in the first round; second round would be EUR-1 -v- SA-8 if they both advance, and so fourth. There would be eight sites for the first two rounds. I'm sure that everyone would want a top European seed, but I wouldn't want to be the site that gets stuck with all the #4 and #5 seeds.
This isn't a good idea because teams are in preseason in the summer. Plus, it would nullify the last 8 of the CL if they all end up going to the CWC anyway. Most importantly, neutral venue games must be kept at a minimum, clubs will never draw as much as NTs. That's why the current format, sans host berth, is perfect.
The northern hemisphere summer seems to be part of the proposal (idea, whatever). We don't know yet if it would be annual, semi-annual, or quadrennial. (If it was quadrennial, then two European teams would qualify each year, with some hand-down rules if any duplicate winners.) Which is one of the reasons I would have it single-elimination, not group play. (It would have to be a single country / continent, anyway.)
You could use that season's cup winners, to the players it would be another 2 or 3 playoff games. Many would jump at the chance to play against the likes of Real or Bayern
I like it but with a tournament this side it should be every four years. I went through the last four Champions Leagues for each confeds. Winners and runners up for UEFA and CONMEBOL, in the event of multiples, the best of the Semis. Five a piece for CONCACAF, CAF and AFC, four winners and one runner-up or more depending on duplicate winners. One spot for OFC, one team has won the last for years anyway. UEFA CL Real Madrid Barcelona Bayern Munich Manchester City Atletico Madrid Juventus Borussia Dortmund Chelsea CONMEBOL CL Atletico Nacional River Plate San Lorenzo Atletico Mineiro Independiente del Valle Club Nacional Olimpia Boca Juniors OFC Auckland City CONCACAF Club America Cruz Azul Monterrey UNAL Montreal Impact CAF Mamelodi Sundowns TP Mazembe ES Setif Al Ahly AS Vita Club AFC Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Guangzhou Evergrande Western Sydney Wanderers FC Seoul Al-Ain Not a bad group.
If it isn't annual, there will be no motivation for non-UCL teams to defend their titles. They'll trot out an U18 side and not care. The CWC must remain an annual event.
Yes. Women's teams can bitch and moan but no-one is going to care but the big European teams aren't going to let their delicate $50 million assets risk an ACL injury in a competitive match. To answer my own question, here are some Kansas City Chiefs, Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Washington Redskins, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, Iowa State, Northwestern, University of Colorado, University of Florida, Michigan State, Mississippi State, University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, Texas A&M. Las Vegas' proposed NFL stadium would have a grass pitch according to rumor and a CWC would be a great way to open it.