The tournament is bankrolled by American and Middle Eastern investment; as is football globally. Where it goes from here is anyone's guess.

Chelsea stunned European champion Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final in a 3-0 victory, capping the first year of the newly formatted tournament in front of a crowd of 81,118 at MetLife Stadium. The largely pro-Chelsea crowd erupted when the game ended and the club’s signature “Blue is the Colour” song blared throughout the stadium.