CWC proves it is imperfect but here to stay

The first edition of the expanded Club World Cup wraps up this weekend with Fifa president Gianni Infantino already hailing it as a huge success while the world of football faces up to the idea that an imperfect tournament is here to stay.

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Infantino's flagship competition — initially supposed to be launched in 2021 before the pandemic intervened — was derided by many, especially in Europe, before it kicked off.

It was seen as an unnecessary addition to a crowded calendar, while there were also doubts as to whether it would win over the public.

Even after it began former Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp dismissed the competition as the "worst idea ever implemented in football".

However, the last month in the United States has shown that such a viewpoint is surely an exaggeration.

Fifa has earned criticism for the number of empty seats at many matches, but fans have turned out, with around 2.5 million attending games across the country.

South American supporters in particular helped create vibrant and colourful atmospheres, and the average crowd of almost 39,000 before last night's final between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea was just below that of the English Premier League last season.