FIFA World Cup™ winners Cafú and Marco Materazzi have praised the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™, with the former saying that the tournament will have inspired clubs around the world who will want to take part in the next edition in 2029. After three weeks of thrilling action, the 32-team tournament is set for a dramatic finale with Brazil’s Fluminense FC facing Chelsea FC in the first semi-final on Tuesday 8 July before a clash of European heavyweights between Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid C.F. the following day. Both matches will take place at the MetLife Stadium in New York New Jersey, which will also host the final on Sunday 13 July, where the first-ever true FIFA club world champions will be crowned.

“I think it’s been wonderful. It’s been fantastic,” said Cafú, the only player to participate in three FIFA World Cup finals and who lifted the trophy with Brazil at USA 1994 and then as captain at Korea/Japan 2002. “I want to congratulate FIFA for having organised such an important tournament with the powerhouses of world football. This means that in four years' time, every club will want to participate because they’ve seen how competitive it is, how competitive the clubs are, how much FIFA is investing in good football and in the integrity of world football, and I think that’s very important.” Cafú said that the presence of a South American team in the last four added extra spice. “A semi-final of such an important tournament, the first one of its kind, is really important because you have a (club from a) South American country playing one of the great European (teams) – it’s world football that takes centre stage,” he said.

“To have Fluminense represent South America is fantastic for us Brazilians. It’s fantastic for South America. South America lives and breathes football, the continent is passionate about football. The supporters love football. So, to have a club representing us in the first-ever (FIFA) Club (World Cup) – a Brazilian team – in the semi-finals is amazing.” He added: “It would have been amazing to play in this FIFA Club World Cup. I wish I could be playing football today to play in such an important and prestigious tournament as this one, the FIFA Club World Cup.”

Former Italy defender Materazzi, who won the FIFA World Cup at Germany 2006, added that “the tournament is really good because many people are attending the stadium” and that the tournament was a useful rehearsal for the FIFA World Cup 26™ which will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States. Picking a winner was a tough task, he added. “(Real) Madrid (CF) vs PSG [Paris Saint-Germain FC] is a big game and then it’s not easy to predict the finalist. (On) the other side (we have) Fluminense (FC), I think they play very well and then they can reach the final. My prediction is Fluminense and PSG.”