Manchester City enters this year’s tournament looking to become the first club since Spanish superpower Real Madrid in 2018 to win back-to-back Club World Cups. Though they came short of winning a fifth straight English Premier League title, City has the talent to make a run in its second-ever CWC appearance.

Despite FIFA's lofty ambitions, the Club World Cup has so far played out in front of half-empty stadiums, the result of steep ticket prices, poor promotion and a misread of the U.S. market. Why does the Club World Cup exist?