FIFA president, Gianni Infantino has confirmed that FIFA will launch a 32-team men’s Club World Cup in 2025.
The new Club World Cup concept was initially meant to launch in China in 2021 with 24 teams but was cancelled due to the pandemic – and is now set for a further expansion from June 2025.
In a press conference ahead of Argentina vs France final on Sunday, the FIFA president dropped several bombshells after claiming that Qatar 2022 was ‘the best World Cup ever’.
Infantino said the new-look tournament would be even bigger than first planned.
“We had agreed a few years ago to have a new 24-team men’s Club World Cup,” the FIFA president said at the World Cup in Doha on Friday.
“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.”
Reports in the British media this week said European clubs had rejected FIFA’s proposal to launch the new-look competition.
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.
“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.
“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.”
Infantino said next year’s Club World Cup, in its current format, would take place in Morocco from February 1 to 11, 2023.
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.
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.
Real Madrid will represent Europe after winning last season’s UEFA Champions League.
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.
