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Rabat – President of FIFA Gianni Infantino announced yesterday plans to have an expanded version of the Club World Cup starting from 2025, saying the new-look tournament will include a total of 32 clubs instead of the current format of seven teams.
The FIFA Council also announced yesterday that Morocco will host the Club World Cup 2022, which will take place between February 1 and 11, 2023. The competition will follow the current format and feature the champions of six continental federations and the top team from the host country.
Infantino made the announcement at a press conference in Qatar, which is currently hosting the 2022 World Cup. He stressed that the Club World Cup is going to be as big as the World Cup, but instead of having countries, the tournament will feature 32 clubs from all across the world.
The 2022 Club World Cup will mark Morocco’s third time hosting the sporting event after the 2013 and 2014 editions.
The annual tournament was set to take place in China in 2021 with a new 24-team format and be held every four years, but it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We had agreed a few years ago to have a new 24-team men’s Club World Cup. It should have taken place in 2021 but was postponed because of Covid,” BeIN Sports quoted Infantino as saying.
The FIFA president added that the 2025 Club World Cup will take place every four years in the summer and will feature “the best teams in the world.”
Infantino’s proposal has raised concerns among some football clubs and leagues as it could impact their schedules, Football 365 reported, saying that FIFA made the decision without consultation.
In addition, Infantino revealed plans to create a women’s Club World Cup and a new FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup every four years.
