Money from the Club World Cup “is essential, but Benfica must have the ambition to win”

Mauro Xavier, former vice-president of the Youth and Sports Institute and a well-known Benfica fan, puts into perspective the economic importance of the coming Club World Cup and emphasizes sporting ambition.

In 2025, the new format of the Club World Cup will come into force, which will have, for the first time, 32 teams from all continents competing. Portugal is on the right track to be represented. At this stage, Benfica and FC Porto are the clubs most likely to enter, as they have added scores that put them on the route of what will be “an elite competition”.

“Benfica being able to enter this competition is a very important moment. I think that money is essential for the sustainability of any Portuguese club and Benfica will always look favorably on income, but that is not the main objective. Benfica has to have the ambition, in the races in which he participates, to win”, says Mauro Xavier, in declarations to White ball.

World Cup against a Super League. calendars suffer

The entrepreneur considers that this is the formula found by FIFA and UEFA to stop the advance of a possible European Super League.

“Clubs need to play games all year round, to keep global spectators interested in these competitions, and so that they can have more revenue”, he maintains.

However, this model will have to lead to a change in the competitive framework of many of the countries involved, including Portugal. Mauro Xavier understands that the League Cup, in this context, “is an unnecessary test”.

The sports commentator also advances that, in the future, clubs may have “more extensive squads”, if the reformulation of internal competitions is not formalized.