Kroos: Players will be 'broken' with new Club World Cup format

Former Germany and Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos criticized the revamped Club World Cup due to the strain it will put on players of top international clubs.

At some point, the players will be "simply broken," Kroos said in the new episode of the podcast "Einfach mal Luppen," which he hosts with his brother Felix.

Kroos added that both the Club World Cup and the 2026 World Cup will be of poor quality.

With the new format, the Club World Cup is to take place next year on June 15-July 13 in the United States with 32 clubs, among them German sides Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

The title would certainly be “harder to win in future, but no more valuable” than before, Kroos said and added that he would not be watching the tournament himself.

In view of the many competitions that are played, at some point, players and fans "get fed up." The current season, which already has more Champions League and Europa League games due to the revamped format, is already "madness" and the calendar is "irresponsible."

“At some point you have to wake up and think a little bit about the players and a little bit less about the money,” said Kroos, who ended his professional career after Euro 2024 this summer.

The new Club World Cup format has been widely criticized. So far no rights deals in any part of the world have been announced in relation to the tournament, nor have any sponsors, match or training venues been confirmed.