FIFA Chief Gianni Infantino Reveals Plans for a 32-team Club World Cup

(CTN News) – Despite alleged resistance from the top European clubs, FIFA President Gianni Infantino revealed plans on Friday for a 32-team Club World Cup to begin in 2025.

The competition’s growth has long been one of Gianni Infantino’s favorite projects. A 24-team competition in China in 2021 that would have included eight European teams was postponed owing to the coronavirus epidemic.

According to Gianni Infantino, the new-look competition will be considerably greater than anticipated.

The FIFA president Gianni Infantino said at the World Cup in Doha on Friday that a new 24-team men’s Club World Cup had been agreed upon a few years before.

“It was supposed to happen in 2021, but Covid caused it to be delayed. The new tournament, which will include 32 teams and take place in 2025, will be reminiscent of the World Cup.

This week, reports in the British media said that European clubs had rejected FIFA’s plan to introduce the tournament under its new format.

Instead of yearly, as is the case for the present seven-team event, an enlarged tournament will be conducted every four years.

Infantino said that the first competition “would occur in 2025 in the summer and during the period when it was the Confederations Cup in previous years.

There will be 32 teams, but only the finest teams in the world will be asked to compete, so it will take a little longer.

According to Gianni Infantino, the 2019 Club World Cup will take held in Morocco from February 1–11, 2019, under its present format.

The event was first conducted in Morocco in 2013 and then again in 2014. The most recent iteration was held in the United Arab Emirates in February, with Chelsea taking home the championship.

The 2023 event is expected to follow the same rules as previous editions, including the six continental champions and the best team from the host country.

Real Madrid, who won the UEFA Champions League last year, will represent Europe.

The other reigning continental champions are Auckland City of New Zealand, Seattle Sounders of the United States, Wydad Casablanca of Morocco, Flamengo of Brazil, Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia, and Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia.

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