Reimagined versions of Harry Kane, Erling Haaland and Luis Suarez took centre in DAZN’s inventive advert as excitement builds for the FIFA Club World Cup.
The broadcaster will air all 63 matches of the new competition for free on their platform, starting with the opener between Al Ahly and Inter Miami on June 15.
The Premier League will be represented by Manchester City and Chelsea in the United States, while the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are among the European heavyweights battling it out for the near-£100million prize.
Ahead of the start of the tournament, DAZN decided to put a boxing slant on their latest promo, which features Kane, Haaland, Suarez and former Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani as fighters.
The short film is tied together by a voice over from legendary boxing announcer Michael Buffer, who can also be seen in the clip.
Suarez, meanwhile, showcases a Uruguayan Salto hometown mouthguard, while Cavani is heralded as ‘El Matador’.
The short film begins with a shot of Manchester City star Erling Haaland getting his hands wrapped
Uruguay legends Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez will be competing in the tournament for Boca Juniors and Inter Miami
Harry Kane will be looking to add more silverware to his collection at this summer’s tournament
It was revealed this week that the winner of the to new competition will get to wear a special badge on their shirts for the next four years.
The design of the crest is yet to be revealed but it will likely be similar to the one Man City have had on their kit since they won the Club World Cup two years ago.
City have been allowed to wear it for back-to-back campaigns as the tournament did not take place in 2024 with the FIFA Intercontinental Cup taking place instead.
This year’s tournament will consist of 32 teams a stark contrast compared to the old format which only included seven teams from the six FIFA confederations.
As a result of the expanded pot of teams, instead of seven games being played across 11 days, the event will see 63 fixtures crammed into 28 days.
A £774million ($1billion) will be shared between the 32 clubs – in addition to a £406million ($525million) participation fee shared based on sporting and commercial criteria, with a further £368million ($475million) shared based on sporting performance.
However, amid all the excitement, there is still some fear over the number of fans that will attend the spectacle. On Wednesday it was revealed that FIFA had slashed prices on tickets for the tournament.
There have been growing concern that the first game, which features Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami of the MLS, will be met by thousands of empty seats as FIFA struggle to shift tickets.
The FIFA Club World Cup has been the passion project of president Gianni Infantino and considerable money is on offer to make it worthwhile for the clubs
The Premier League will be represented in the United States by Manchester City and Chelsea
Xabi Alonso’s appointment as Real Madrid manager is said to have increased interest in the competition
Tens of thousands of tickets have been left unsold for the game, which will be played at the Hard Rock Stadium – a ground that have a capacity of 65,326, according to The Athletic.
It is reported that sales for the match are as low as 20,000, but FIFA have said the number is ‘much higher’ and the estimate is false.
Tickets for the tournament have been sold under a dynamic pricing model, which sees prices determined by demand, and lowering costs indicate FIFA is struggling to sell them.
They are being flung for as little as £17 ($24), with the lowest-priced match appearing to be between Argentine side River Plate and Japanese team Urawa Red Diamonds in Seattle.
The prices appear to have risen after Los Blancos confirmed Xabi Alonso as their new boss and that Trent Alexander-Arnold would compete.
In April, FIFA President Gianni Infantino claimed he was not worried about attendances because American stadiums have been packed during pre-season tours in recent years.
‘I’m not worried at all to fill a stadium when teams are coming to play a World Cup, to play for something real, not just an exhibition game where sometimes the second or third squads are fielded and so on,’ he said. ‘This is a real game. This is a real competition.
‘This is a real World Cup. It’s the best players. It’s the best teams coming.’
