The formation of a new men’s Club World Cup, set to begin in 2025 and featuring 32 of the top teams in the world was announced this morning by FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
The international governing body of football has long wished to expand the Club World Cup in order to establish a domestic league that would compete with UEFA’s Champions League.
The Club World Cup currently features just seven teams, including the winners of each confederation’s winner of their premier trophy, including the Champions League winners.
Chelsea are the current holders after beating Brazilian club Palmeiras in February.
What Did Infantino Say?
Infantino said: “As you will certainly remember, we had agreed a few years ago to have a new men’s Club World Cup with 24 teams.
“This should have taken place in 2021. This event was postponed because of Covid.
“The new men’s Club World Cup will therefore take place in 2025 and will feature 32 teams.
“The best teams in the world. Of course, the details of that still need to be discussed, agreed and decided. But the 32-team tournament will go ahead, making it really like a World Cup.”
New men’s World Cup will start in 3 years, FIFA announces.
Gianni Infantino: “The new men’s Club World Cup will take place in 2025 and will feature 32 teams”. 🚨🏆
“32-team tournament will go ahead, making it like a World Cup”, Infantino added via @sr_collings. pic.twitter.com/YQZM38aNoT
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 16, 2022
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Infantino also confirmed that World Cup semi-finalists, Morocco, have been chosen to host next year’s Club World Cup and said there would also be a new Women’s Club World Cup but did not specify a potential start date.
He also announce the launch of a “FIFA World Series”, saying: “The importance of having matches between national teams of different continents more regularly, more often, the idea of that, the principle, it was agreed and elaborated on.
“[The plan] is to use the March windows, the 10 days in March, in the even years, the World Cup years, the Euros years and the Copa America years, and organise friendly tournaments between four teams, four different confederations.
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