FC Bayern München's superstar forward calls this summer's innovative 32-team tournament in the United States "unique"
FC Internazionale Milano goalgetter Lautaro Martínez says the FIFA Club World Cup™ will be "really special"
Teams from all six confederations will compete in the United States from 14 June to 13 July to be crowned the first official FIFA world club champions
FC Bayern München forward Harry Kane has joined a clutch of global superstars who are excited for the start of the new, groundbreaking FIFA Club World Cup™ in the United States this summer. The FIFA Club World Cup will change the face of club football forever. All six confederations and almost 90 countries will be represented by the 32 teams and their players, who will compete across 12 venues in 11 US cities - Atlanta, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York New Jersey, Orlando, Philadelphia, Seattle and Washington, D.C. - for the right to be crowned the first official FIFA world club champions. Boasting a raft of continental title winners and teams that performed consistently impressively in their confederation's premier competition over the four-year qualifying period, the FIFA Club World Cup is the most merit-based global club tournament ever seen, and Kane is among the big-name players who cannot wait for it to kick off.
"It's going to be unique, playing this type of major tournament with your club is different to what's been done in the past but I think it's going to be a great experience," said the England international, whose team faces Auckland City FC (New Zealand), SL Benfica (Portugal) and CA Boca Juniors (Argentina) in Group C. "Going out to the US, as well, a year before the (FIFA) World Cup itself will be a great chance to get to know some of the stadiums and get to know the fans out there. It's going to be a really great tournament. As always, when it's the first of any type of tournament, people are wondering how it's going to go but I'm really excited for it. " The FIFA Club World Cup will also have a global impact beyond the tournament itself with - in addition to the USD 1 billion prize pot for the 32 clubs - a target of USD 250 million has been set for a solidarity fund for non-participating teams, meaning all revenue generated by the tournament will be reinvested in the game.
Fans around the world will be able to see each of the 63 matches for free thanks to the landmark agreement FIFA signed with DAZN , the world's largest sports streaming platform, starting with the opening game between Al Ahly FC and Inter Miami CF at the Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday, 14 June, through to the final at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, 13 July, when the official FIFA club world champions will lift the tournament's new bespoke trophy . "I've always been excited to play against the best clubs, and here, we'll see a healthy but very competitive rivalry," said Sergio Ramos, the veteran former Real Madrid C.F. (Spain) defender who is now part of a CF Monterrey (Mexico) squad that faces FC Internazionale Milano (Italy), CA River Plate (Argentina) and Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan) in Group E.
"It always brings me extra excitement to play in this kind of competition. This one is new because of the format, but it already requires a very high level of concentration, because even the smallest detail could be the difference between staying in or getting knocked out. We know we'll be up against very, very important opponents, with big names, with a lot of history, and they're all highly competitive." Key Inter forward Lautaro Martínez said it would be "really special" to take part in the historic first edition of the competition. "Personally, it reminds me a lot of a (FIFA) World Cup with national teams," added the Argentina international. "So, it's going to be really great. It's going to be really nice - something really special, because it's the first time the competition is being played."
