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This morning the IFA announced the creation of a new Men’s Club World Cup, due to start in 2025 and featuring 32 of the “best teams in the world”.
At a press conference, FIFA president Gianni Infantino revealed details of the world governing body’s organizing 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 former currently features just seven teams, featuring the winners of each confederation’s top trophy, including the Champions League winners. Chelsea are the current holders after beating Brazil’s Palmeiras in February.
Infantino said: “As you remember, we agreed a few years ago to have a new Men’s Club World Cup with 24 teams. This was supposed to happen in 2021 [but] was postponed due to 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 this still need to be discussed and agreed, but the 32-team tournament will continue, making it truly a World Cup.
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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 possible start date.
He also announced the launch of the FIFA World Series, saying: “The importance of more regular matches between national teams on different continents, the idea of that, the principle, was agreed and developed.
“[The plan] is to use the March windows in even-numbered years, World Cup years, Euro years and Copa America years and organize friendlies between four teams from four different confederations so that everyone can get that experience to playing against each other, of course, under the auspices of FIFA, so the FIFA World Series-type events.”
Despite the many controversies surrounding the World Cup, Infantino described the tournament as a “really incredible success” and revealed that FIFA had amassed $7.5 billion (£6.2 billion) in revenue for this four-year World Cup cycle, $1 billion (820 million pounds) more than the previous year, despite the impact of the pandemic.
Chelsea are the reigning champions of the Club World Cup.
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“I think that’s pretty remarkable,” Infantino said. “FIFA Council approves $11bn (£9bn) revenue budget over next four-year cycle.”
Infantino claims the controversial timing of this mid-season World Cup has led to better football rather than the “end of an exhausting season” for the players.
“For me, the World Cup was a really incredible success on all fronts,” he said. “The main thing, the fans, bringing people together, meeting the Arab world, is very important for the future of all of us. But also when it comes to the matches.”
He revealed that the top countries that have visited Qatar are Saudi Arabia, India, the United States, the United Kingdom and Mexico.
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