Rabat – FIFA has announced plans to hold an expanded Club World Cup in the US in 2025, which will see Moroccan club Wydad AC take part.
The upcoming tournament will see the participation of 32 teams, delivering on FIFA’s promise of making the tournament more inclusive.
Under the new format, 12 European clubs, six from South America, and four each from North and Central America, Asia, and Africa will compete for the title.
In addition, one team from Oceania and one from the US are set to take part.
FIFA’s plans to expand the list of participants in the tournament drew criticism from the player union FIFPro. The union argues that the packed schedule will take a toll on player welfare and performance.
“FIFPro took note with surprise of today’s decisions by the FIFA Council concerning the international match calendars for men’s and women’s football that could have serious consequences for and aggravate pressure on the welfare and employment of players,” the organisation said in a statement last year.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said that the 2025 edition will see a selection of “the best teams in the world.”
The structure of the 2025 edition echoes the pre-expansion World Cup format, featuring eight groups of four teams, and a knockout stage involving 16 teams.
Read Also: Morocco to ‘Possibly’ Host FIFA Club World Cup 2023
