The former Liverpool manager warned that adding another tournament was potentially dangerous for player health.

During an interview with German publication Die Welt published on Friday, Klopp said the tournament “ the worst idea ever implemented ” in the sport. The new format now features a 32-team event, which occurs every four years during the preseason in the summers between the major international tournaments.

His three-word statement, used during a passionate interview with German outlet Welt am Sonntag, left no room for ambiguity — and has since reverberated throughout the soccer world. As the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup marches through its newly expanded 32-team format,