FIFA chief Gianni Infantino has announced plans for a 32-team Club World Cup from 2025, despite reported opposition from Europe’s biggest clubs.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Infantino said at the World Cup in Doha on Friday that the new-look tournament would be even bigger than first planned. An expansion of the competition has long been a pet project of Infantino’s.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
“We had agreed a few years ago to have a new 24-team men’s Club World Cup,” the FIFA president said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
“It should have taken place in 2021 but was postponed because of Covid. The new competition will take place in 2025 and will feature 32 teams, making it really like a World Cup.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Reports in the British media this week said European clubs had rejected FIFA’s proposal to launch the new-look competition.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The plans are for an expanded tournament to be held every four years instead of annually, as is the case for the current seven-team event.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
“The first edition will take place in 2025 in the summer and during that slot where in past years it was the Confederations Cup,” Infantino said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
“It will be slightly longer because there will be 32 teams, but they will be the best teams in the world who will be invited to participate.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
2023 tournament<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Infantino said next year’s Club World Cup, in its current format, would take place in Morocco from February 1 to 11, 2023.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Morocco hosted the tournament in 2013 and again in 2014, while the most recent edition was held in the United Arab Emirates in February, with Chelsea lifting the trophy.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The 2023 tournament is set to continue in its existing format – up until now it has featured the six continental champions plus the top side from the host nation.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Real Madrid will represent Europe after winning last season’s UEFA Champions League.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Flamengo of Brazil, Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia, Wydad Casablanca of Morocco, Seattle Sounders from the United States and New Zealand’s Auckland City are the other current continental champions<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
FIFA chief Gianni Infantino has announced plans for a 32-team Club World Cup from 2025, despite reported opposition from Europe’s biggest clubs.Infantino said at the World Cup in Doha on Friday that the new-look tournament would be even bigger than fir…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n