FIFA president Gianni Ifantino has announced the FIFA Club World Cup will be a 32-team format from 2025.
The expanded concept for the inter-continental club competition was originally set to be launched in China in 2021 involving 24 teams but it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The current format of the Club World Cup involves just seven teams and FIFA has floated the idea of an expanded tournament to make it more attractive and lucrative like the UEFA Champions League and other continental club competitions.
A lot of details such as location of the tournament and how the tournament will take shape are yet to be decided but Infantino says all will be decided in due course.
“The details of the location still need to be discussed but it has been agreed and decided that a 32-team Club World Cup tournament will go ahead making it like a World Cup,” the FIFA president said in a press conference at the ongoing World Cup in Qatar.
“I don’t know what the British press says or doesn’t say, but I know what we’ve decided and that is that there will be a Club World Cup of 32 teams to be played every four years and the first edition will take place in 2025 in the summer.
“During that slot where in other years it would be the Confederations Cup, it will be slightly longer because there are 32 teams so it will last a bit longer but they will be the best teams in the world who will all be invited to participate.
“But all of the details will be developed in due course and we will decide where it will take place as well over the next few weeks or months in consultation with all of the stakeholders.
Infantino revealed the 2023 Club World Cup will be staged in Morocco.
Chelsea are the defending champions of the competition, beating Brazilian giants Palmeiras in this year’s final in Abu Dhabi.
The FIFA president also announced plans for a Women’s Club World Cup and the launch of a FIFA World Series – an initiative that will allow more top clubs from different parts of the world to compete among themselves regularly.
