Club or Country: Club World Cup creates dilemma for USA stars
The summer of 2025 brings both the Club World Cup and the Gold Cup to the United States. Americans at both club and country level will have the opportunity to play in front of fans across the country. However, for the elite players from the United States, they face a decision. They can either play in the Club World Cup with their clubs in a revamped competition. Or, they can represent the United States on home soil yet again to win another international tournament.
Unfortunately for the players, these tournaments overlap. The Club World Cup spans almost one month from June 15 to July 13. The Gold Cup, which features fewer teams, runs from June 13 to July 6. Therefore, players cannot compete in both competitions. Even if they could, it would be far-fetched to think a player would be able to seamlessly go from a tournament with their national team to a tournament with their club, or vice versa.
That said, it may not be up to the players. FIFA regulations state clubs are obliged to release players. It is not mandatory.
“Clubs are obliged to release their registered players to the representative teams of the country for which the player is eligible to play on the basis of his nationality if they are called up by the association concerned.”
A player is free to reject an international call-up, should they have a desire to play in the Club World Cup over the Gold Cup. However, there are several considerations for that. For example, that may hurt the standing of players with their national team coach. Mauricio Pochettino is now the boss of the USMNT, and the Gold Cup is a chance for players to get valuable time with him as the coach.
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Several players on the USMNT face that very dilemma as their clubs have qualified for the Club World Cup. Juventus will compete in the Club World Cup in the summer of 2025. Therefore, Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah will play in one of, but not both, of the Club World Cup and Gold Cup. The same applies to Gio Reyna, who, as of now, is under contract with Borussia Dortmund. None of those three players featured in the squad for the 2023 Gold Cup. Likewise, none of the three have won the Gold Cup, so they may feel inclined to perform with Pochettino at the helm.
This is not an issue exclusive to Americans though. Alphonso Davies of Canada can continue to be integral under Jesse Marsch. Yet, Bayern Munich will want to use the Canadian as its starting wing-back at the Club World Cup this summer. He faces the same dilemma as each of the Americans.
With three Liga MX teams in action, there could be a host of Mexicans facing the same problem. The most recent squad for friendlies in October featured one player from each of Pachuca, Leon and Monterrey, three clubs competing in the Club World Cup. Even more players featured in recent squads for the Mexican national team.
As more teams secure spots in the Gold Cup, their players who would also qualify for the Club World Cup face this decision that affects both tournaments.
PHOTOS: IMAGO