THE CLUB WORLD CUP is being expanded to 32 teams in a major shake-up.
It means the Fifa-run club tournament will more than quadruple in size from the current format with seven sides.
The major changes are set to come into effect from 2025, as revealed by Fifa president Gianni Infantino today.
The world football governing body initially wanted to increase the size of the Club World Cup from seven teams to 24 for China in 2021 – before the pandemic hit.
The new format of the 32-team tournament will take place every four years with an extended international break merging the current September and October slots to facilitate the changes.
It is unclear at this stage how the 32 teams will be comprised – currently each continent sends one team with the host nation’s league champions making up the seven.
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Chelsea won the 2021-22 version as reigning Champions League winners, beating Copa Libertadores champs Palmeiras in the February final.
The European and South American clubs joined in the semi-finals with the teams from the other confederations in Africa, Asia, Oceania and North, Central America and Caribbean as well as the host nation’s league champions joining earlier.
Real Madrid will be the European representative at the 2022-23 edition following their victory over Liverpool in Paris in May.
And Infantino confirmed that tournament will be hosted in Morocco, just as it was in 2013 and 2014.
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The Club World Cup was launched in 2000 with Chelsea becoming the third English team to win it after Manchester United in 2008 and Liverpool in 2019.
Real Madrid are the most successful side in the tournament’s history with four titles, one more than rivals Barcelona.
Brazilian side Corinthians and Bayern Munich have won two each while 14 of the last 15 have been won by the European team.
Infantino also added that a Women’s Club World Cup will be launched – although no further details were given at this stage.
And a Fifa World Series will also start, with the friendly tournament taking place in even years to “increase the possibilities for teams from different confederations to play each other”.
There was a hint, too, of future winter World Cups following the success of Qatar 2022.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
