- The Liverpool icon has reiterated his concerns over the expanded 48-team World Cup format
- Jürgen Klopp warns that player recovery must be protected
- Klopp also acknowledged the tournament’s positive impact on smaller footballing nations
Jürgen Klopp has delivered a blunt verdict on the new FIFA World Cup format, and it will resonate with every Liverpool supporter.
The German has never been shy about his concerns over the expanded World Cup, and speaking on the BBC, he made clear his position has not changed one bit.
Klopp, who transformed Liverpool into one of the most dominant sides in European football during his nine years at Anfield, has long been one of the most vocal advocates for player welfare in football.
With the 48-team World Cup format set to debut in the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer, the debate over player workload is only growing louder – and the former Reds gaffer’s words carry particular weight given what he witnessed firsthand at Liverpool.
Liverpool icon Klopp steadfast in his criticism of FIFA World Cup
In a recent interview, Klopp was unequivocal about his stance on the expanded format, stressing the need for governing bodies in football to take player welfare more seriously.
Speaking on the BBC (28 April), he said: “In general, it’s not a great idea. I’d never changed my opinion about that. You have to take care of the players. I know how important recovery is for players and we have to give them time for recovery. This is the aspect that we cannot change.
“The game is as good as the players are. The players are as good as they can be, as their physical status lets them be, let me say it like that. That’s one part.”
For Liverpool supporters, the message will resonate. The Merseyside-based club have experienced the consequences of player fatigue and a relentless fixture schedule firsthand in recent seasons, with injuries to key men proving costly at critical moments in both domestic and European competitions.
In 2019, Klopp’s side notably played a Club World Cup fixture in Qatar a day after a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash with Aston Villa at Villa Park. Given the circumstances, the club fielded their Under-23s side, led by Neil Critchley, for the EFL Cup bout.
Such was the nature of the hectic schedule he had to deal with.
The other side of the argument
To his credit, Klopp was not entirely dismissive of the tournament’s expanded vision.
Reflecting on a personal experience during a summer cruise, the Liverpool legend described a touching encounter in Curacao, a nation that recently qualified for the World Cup for the first time.
He added: “The other part is, in the summer, I was on a cruise, and it started in Curacao. So I was in Curacao a few weeks after they qualified for the World Cup, and I tell you what, it was heartwarming to see how happy the people were.
“So, it’s good, it’s great for them. That doesn’t change the other subject that we need to keep an eye on it.”
It is a nuanced position – one that acknowledges the tournament’s power to inspire smaller footballing nations, while refusing to abandon the core concern over what an ever-expanding calendar means for the players who make the game worth watching.
For Liverpool, whose squad will see several key players depart for the World Cup this summer, Klopp’s words are a timely reminder of what is at stake.
