An expansion of the competition has long
been a pet project of Infantino’s. A 24-team event, featuring eight sides from
Europe, was planned for 2021 in China but was put on hold due to the
coronavirus pandemic.
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.
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