FIFA announced a 32-team Club World Cup to compete in the UEFA Champions League

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The International Federation of Football Associations (IFA) announced this morning the creation of a new men’s Club World Cup tournament, due to start in 2025 and featuring 32 of the “world’s best teams”.

In a press conference, FIFA President Gianni Infantino revealed the details of the FIFA Regulatory Council meeting this morning.

FIFA has long wanted to expand the Club World Cup to create a domestic competition to rival the UEFA Champions League. The first team currently includes only seven teams, comprising the winners of each association’s first title, including the Champions League winners. Chelsea is the current defending champion, after defeating Brazilian club Palmeiras in February.

Infantino said: “As you remember, we agreed a few years ago to hold the Men’s Club World Cup with the participation of 24 teams. This was supposed to happen in 2021 [but] Postponed due to covid.

Therefore, the new men’s Club World Cup will be held in 2025 and will include 32 teams, which are the best teams in the world. Of course, the details of that still need to be discussed and agreed upon, but the 32-team tournament will go ahead, which really makes it like the World Cup.”

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Infantino also confirmed that World Cup semi-finalists Morocco had been chosen to host the Club World Cup next year and said there would also be a Women’s Club World Cup, but did not specify a possible start date for the tournament.

He also announced the launch of the FIFA World Championship, saying: “The importance of holding matches between national teams from different continents more regularly, the idea of ​​that, the principle, has been agreed upon and expanded on.

“[The plan] It is to use March windows in even years, World Cup years, Euro years and Copa America years, and to organize friendly tournaments between four teams from four different continental federations, so that everyone can gain this experience playing with each other, under the umbrella of FIFA of course, so the kind FIFA World Series Events”.

Despite the many World Cup controversies, Infantino described the tournament as a “truly amazing success” and revealed that FIFA had generated $7.5 billion (£6.2 billion) in revenue for the four-year World Cup cycle, $1 billion (£820 million). ) more than its predecessor, despite the impact of the pandemic.

Chelsea is the Club World Cup holder.

/ Getty Images

“I think that’s amazing,” said Infantino. The FIFA Council has approved a budget of $11 billion (£9 billion) in revenue for the next four-year cycle.

Infantino claimed the controversial timing of the World Cup in the middle of the season improved football rather than “the end of a stressful season” for the players.

“For me, the World Cup was a real, incredible success, on all fronts,” he said. “The main element is the fans, which bring people together, meet the Arab world, and are very important for the future of all of us. But also when it comes to matches.”

He revealed that the countries that visited Qatar are Saudi Arabia, India, the United States, the United Kingdom and Mexico.

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