Club World Cup

Subterms

    More stories

    • 288 Shares169 Views

      in Soccer

      Fifa close to agreeing major new broadcasting deal for Club World Cup – but fans might not be able to watch for free

      by

      FIFA are close to agreeing a broadcast deal for the Club World Cup, according to reports.The expanded tournament is set to take place in the US in the summer of 2025.Apple TV+ are in talks to broadcast the Club World CupCredit: GettyThe Club World Cup traditionally pitted four clubs from around the globe against one another.But the new format will see 32 clubs participate including 12 from Europe, with Manchester City and Chelsea representing England.Fifa were believed to want around £3.2million for the broadcast package but the actual fee could be closer to £800,000, according to the New York Times.Apple TV+ are in talks about buying the rights and could make the tournament subscriber-only, which means fans might not be able to watch any games for free.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLSenior executives at Fifa have concerns about that fact, with normal World Cup games being made free-to-air in the UK.Apple TV+ show MLS games after agreeing a ten-year deal worth £2billion.They will also show Jake Paul’s boxing dust-up with Mike Tyson in July.There is plenty of money involved in the revamped tournament with each club set to bank at least £43m.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERThe winner will pocket an additional £80m, meaning there is plenty on the line for the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.Four teams from England have won the competition previously – Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and City.Every Premier League club’s most famous and also most surprising fan More

    • 263 Shares99 Views

      in Soccer

      Arsenal miss out on Club World Cup place to side who’ve only ever got out of their Champions League group once

      by

      ARSENAL have missed out on a place at the Club World Cup after crashing out of the Champions League.Mikel Arteta’s men were confident of victory at Bayern Munich after a 2-2 draw in the first leg of their quarter-final tie.Arsenal have missed out on the Club World Cup after being KO’d from the Champions LeagueCredit: GettyThe expanded tournament takes place next year with Chelsea and Man City representing EnglandCredit: GettyBut the Gunners were blunted in Bavaria as Thomas Tuchel’s side dominated the game.And the Germans emerged victorious with a 1-0 win on the night thanks to a strike from Joshua Kimmich.Arsenal will now return to England to lick their wounds, having also suffered a huge title blow with defeat to Aston Villa on Sunday.However, things are only getting worse for the Gunners and their fans.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThat’s because they will not be joining Chelsea and holders Manchester City – themselves KO’d from Europe by Real Madrid on Wednesday – at the Club World Cup.Next year’s expanded format will see 32 teams take part for the prestigious trophy.And Arsenal needed to go all the way by winning this season’s Champions League to take part.However, they have now been knocked out of both events as a result of their defeat in Munich.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERInstead, their spot will go to Austrian side RB Salzburg.They’ve never won a European trophy and have only ever made it out of the Champions League group stage once.7 times Arsenal vs Chelsea games EXPLODEDHowever, they are the highest-ranked side in Uefa’s coefficient table, as only two teams per domestic league are allowed to qualify.Italy are represented by Inter Milan and Juventus, while Germany have Bayern and Borussia Dortmund.Spain will see Real Madrid and Atletico take part, while Portugal boast both Benfica and Porto.Other countries represented next year include the USA, Mexico, Japan and Brazil.Teams playing in 2025 Club World CupAll the sides who have qualified:

      Chelsea (England)
      Man City (England)
      Real Madrid (Spain)
      Atletico Madrid (Spain)
      Bayern Munich (Germany)
      Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
      PSG (France)
      Inter Milan (Italy)
      Juventus (Italy)
      Porto (Portugal)
      Benfica (Portugal)
      RB Salzburg (Austria)
      Palmeiras (Brazil)
      Flamengo (Brazil)
      Fluminense (Brazil)
      Auckland City (New Zealand)
      Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
      Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan)
      Al Ahly (Egypt)
      Wydad AC (Morocco)
      Monterrey (Mexico)
      Club León (Mexico)
      Seattle Sounders (USA) More

    • 225 Shares109 Views

      in Soccer

      Atletico Madrid beat Barcelona to £43million windfall despite BOTH clubs going out of Champions League on same night

      by

      BARCELONA have missed out on £43million following their Champions League exit.Paris Saint-Germain came from behind against ten-man Barca to knock them out in the quarter-finals on Tuesday, as the Catalans were left bemoaning Ronald Araujo’s controversial first-half red card.Barcelona were dumped out of the Champions League by PSGCredit: APThe result means Barcelona miss out on the 2025 Club World Cup.The tournament expands from four clubs to 32 next year with 12 teams from Europe qualifying.But a maximum of two teams are permitted from each country and with Champions League winners from 2021-24 getting a place, that means Real Madrid have already qualified.The second spot from Spain was being contested between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, who also exited the Champions League on Tuesday after losing to Borussia Dortmund.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLBut Diego Simeone’s side will head to the Club World Cup as they have a high Uefa co-efficient ranking than Barca, with a score of 67 compared to 60.And with qualification comes a £43m windfall for all participating clubs, with the winner set to cash in on an additional £80m.Barcelona also miss out on £10.6m which they would have received for reaching the Champions League semi-final.That is bad news for the club who are still struggling financially and need to slash their wage bill by £57m.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSLaLiga announced the Blaugrana would be having their permitted salary limit cut down from £231m to 174m for the 2024/25 season.With the club’s real squad cost – the total of salaries and transfer amortisations – for this season officially budgeted at £421m, they are some way over budget and will need to make significant cuts.Footage of Ronaldinho’s son, 19, at Barcelona emerges and fans are baffled to spot his positionEngland’s two places will go to recent Champions League winners Chelsea and Manchester City.But Arsenal can still earn a spot if they win the competition this season.That’s because the two club per country cap is lifted if there are more than two winners from one league over the four-year qualifying cycle. More

    • 263 Shares119 Views

      in Soccer

      ‘Make it make sense’, rant fans after realising Liverpool and Arsenal WON’T be at 2025 Club World Cup.. but Chelsea will

      by

      CHELSEA and Manchester City have earned a spot at the 2025 Club World Cup.However, Premier League title-chasers Liverpool and Arsenal are yet to feature on the line-up.Chelsea will feature at the 2025 Club World CupCredit: GettyThe Blues won the competition in 2021Credit: GettyThe Club World Cup will be expanded to 32 teams for the first time in the competition’s history next year.Teams are selected from six confederations across the world including AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa), CONCACAF (North and Central America and Caribbean), CONMEBOL (South America), OFC (Oceania) and Uefa (Europe).The competition’s four previous winners have also been invited to take part.That means Chelsea, who were crowned champions in 2021, will feature.Read More in FootballThe Blues have struggled to compete in the Premier League over the last two years despite spending over £1billion on player transfers.They finished 12th in the table last season and currently sit 11th with 12 games left to play.As a result of last season’s poor results Chelsea also failed to qualify for Europe, leaving many fans baffled as to why they will be allowed to take part in the Club World Cup.One football fan took to X to write: “Liverpool & Arsenal not playing but Chelsea playing.. the 32 teams Club World Cup is outlandishly embarrassing. Chelsea isn’t even in Europe.Most read in FootballCHELTENHAM BETTING OFFERS – BEST FREE BET DEALS FOR THE FESTIVAL “How tf does it make sense?”Another questioned: “This is f***ing stupid, why is Chelsea playing?”Who could be Chelsea’s next manager after Pochettino?While a third wrote: “Snuck in Chelsea like we won’t notice 😂.”Man City have also qualified for the Club World Cup next year.Pep Guardiola’s side won the competition at the end of 2023 after clinching the Treble.Among the other clubs that have already qualified are Bayern Munich, PSG, Inter Milan, Auckland City, Palmeiras and Seattle Sounders.The Club World Cup will be expanded to 32 teams next yearCredit: AFP More

    • 250 Shares179 Views

      in Soccer

      ‘What criteria did they use?’ – Fans baffled to discover Premier League flops already qualified for Fifa Club World Cup

      by

      FANS have been left baffled after Chelsea were announced as qualifiers for the expanded 2025 Fifa Club World Cup.The tournament is set to undergo a big shake-up next year with 32 teams involved. Chelsea have qualified for the expanded 2025 Fifa Club World CupCredit: GettyAnd surprisingly, Chelsea will be one of them, joining the likes of Manchester City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and PSG. One fan reacted to the news, saying: “Why are Chelsea there.”Another said: “Chelsea finished 10th but still going to the Club World Cup.”One added: “What is the criteria for qualification?”READ MORE IN football Another agreed: “How did Chelsea qualify? What qualification criteria did FIFA use?”Despite mass fan confusion, Fifa confirmed that Champions League winners from 2021-2024 qualify for the tournament. And Chelsea lifted the European cup under the guidance of Thomas Tuchel only three years ago. Winners of “each confederation’s premier club competition” also qualify, explaining Bayern Munich and PSG’s presence. Most read in Football2025 Fifa Club World Cup teams so far

      𝐀𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐀
      Wydad Athletic Club (Morocco)Al Ahly SC (Egypt)
      𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐀
      Al Hilal SFC (Saudi Arabia)Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan)
      𝐄𝐔𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐄
      Chelsea (England)Real Madrid (Spain)Manchester City (England)Bayern Munich (Germany)PSG (France)Inter Milan (Italy)Porto (Portugal)Benfica (Portugal)
      𝐍𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐇/𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐀
      CF Monterrey (Mexico)Seattle Sounders FC (United States)Club Leon (Mexico)
      𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐀
      Auckland City FC (New Zealand)
      𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐇 𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐀
      SE Palmeiras (Brazil)CR Flamengo (Brazil)Fluminense FC (Brazil)

      CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSMore info will be announced throughout 2024 — including the trophy, host cities, and the draw.But for now, the first 19 sides have been announced, with a further 13 to be added.Astrid Wett boycotting Chelsea matches after she is ‘spat at’ despite ‘being one of club’s biggest fans’ The new 32-team tournament format will take place every four years with an extended international break merging the current September and October slots to facilitate the changes.City – last season’s Champions League winners – are the current holders. More

    • 175 Shares149 Views

      in Soccer

      World Cup final venue revealed with never-seen-before element for showpiece after beating rival stadiums

      by

      THE 2026 World Cup final is now set to be played indoors — after Fifa chiefs agreed Dallas’ AT&T Stadium will host the biggest game in football.Tournament chiefs will confirm more details about the first 48-team World Cup next month following a meeting in London this week.
      The 2026 World Cup will take place in America, Canada and MexicoCredit: AP
      The final of the tournament will take place at the AT&T Stadium in DallasCredit: GETTY
      SunSport has been told that the home of the Dallas Cowboys has beaten New York’s MetLife Stadium to host the showpiece.
      The Texan city will also be the main base for Fifa — rather than the other options of New York and Miami.
      Fifa is aiming to complete the 72-game group phase in 15 days, meaning up to five matches back to back in the first two rounds of games, with all teams guaranteed four days’ rest.
      But it remains unclear if identifying the eight third-place sides to go through to the knock-out phase will see Fifa split the tournament into two distinct halves to ensure sufficient rest for all teams.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      The revised World Cup will feature a whopping 104 matches.
      The controversial and drastic change to the tournament format – which will be held in Mexico and Canada as well as the USA- was revealed by Fifa chiefs.
      A statement said: “Based on a thorough review that considered sporting integrity, player welfare, team travel, commercial and sporting attractiveness, as well as team and fan experience, the Fifa Council unanimously approved the proposed amendment to the Fifa World Cup 2026 competition format from 16 groups of three to 12 groups of four.
      With the top two and eight best third-placed teams progressing to a round of 32.
      Most read in Football
      CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
      Gianni Infantino has claimed the 2026 World Cup will ‘change the balance in football’Credit: GETTY
      “The revised format mitigates the risk of collusion and ensures that all the teams play a minimum of three matches, while providing balanced rest time between competing teams.”
      After the confirmation of the hosts for the competition, Fifa bigwig Gianni Infantino said: “Congratulations for the qualification of Mexico, Canada and the United States, who already qualified for this [FIFA] World Cup last week through the FIFA Council’s decision.
      “But in addition to those three, three more Concacaf teams will qualify for sure, and possibly even five.”
      President Infantino added: “This next World Cup in North America is going to be the World Cup of America.
      “It’s going to be the World Cup that will change the balance in football, because we are going to focus our work in this part of the world.” More

    • 238 Shares99 Views

      in Soccer

      Fifa’s Club World Cup new format is crazy – elite players are being asked to perform too much already

      by

      NOT so much flogging a dead horse, but we are definitely flogging our finest footballers.The Club World Cup, you may have noticed, was won by Manchester City in Saudi Arabia this month.
      Manchester City won the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia this monthCredit: Rex
      But while it involved only seven sides, including mighty Auckland City and Urawa Red Diamonds, next time it will be 32. This is crazy.
      There is almost universal agreement that  elite players are being asked to perform too much already and yet Fifa wants to expand the Club World Cup to 32 teams in summer 2025.
      The expansion has been criticised by Fifpro, the global union for professional players, as well as the World Leagues Forum, which represents pro leagues.
      Both have raised concerns about player welfare.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      La Liga, the Spanish top flight, has come down hard on this latest wheeze and we should do the same.
      And the 2026 World Cup is expanding from 32 to 48 nations.
      It’s the same elsewhere, as the Champions League is getting ever bigger. From next season it will involve 36 clubs, all playing in a single league with eight group games.
      The top eight will qualify for the last-16 knockout stage, while those ranked 9th to 24th can still make it through a play-off.
      Most read in Football
      CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
      The Champions League is expanding next yearCredit: AP
      In a nutshell, you can finish 24th in a league and still win the goodies at the end of the season.
      Maybe increasing the Champions League from 32 to 36 teams isn’t too much, but then you have the European Championships as well for national teams. Euro 2024 will involve 24 teams.
      There is also the 2024-25 Nations League, with games being played next autumn and the finals in June 2025.
      Hang on, I hear you ask, isn’t that when the Club World Cup will be held as well? Erm, yes…
      Confused? You should be.
      Uefa say the expanded Nations League is there to “minimise meaningless friendlies”, but how many of you could recall who won it in 2019, 2021 and 2023?
      Most of us understand you need top players performing at the biggest and best competitions but where does all this end? The Premier League is very clear. There are 38 games spread over ten months.
      The old First Division was over 42 games and I would argue the reduction has led to improved  quality levels.
      By the start of January, West Ham will have played 28 games across all competitions (joint third-highest in the Prem).
      I haven’t even begun to think how many games on top of this our international stars have played.
      So, what Uefa and Fifa are suggesting is squeezing the pips until they squeal.
      Top footballers already have to spread themselves too thinly and the danger is that injuries will multiply.
      I hear some of you say “fair enough, they are very highly paid”. But we want to see the best football, played by the best players on the best occasions?
      Read more on The Sun
      The Club World Cup, Champions League, World Cup, Euros, Nations League — it’s too much.
      Precious diamonds are priceless because of their rarity. This ever-expanding land-grab suggests football’s governing bodies know the price of everything and the value of nothing. More

    • 238 Shares149 Views

      in Soccer

      Man City WILL wear gold 2023 Fifa World Champions badge on shirts despite Liverpool being banned after 2019 victory

      by

      MANCHESTER CITY will be allowed to wear the 2023 FIFA World Champions badge on all three kits this season following their Club World Cup victory.Pep Guardiola’s side cruised to a 4-0 win over Fluminense in the Club World Cup final on Friday.
      Man City won the Club World Cup on FridayCredit: Getty
      They will now be allowed to wear the Club World Cup badge on their shirtsCredit: Getty
      As a result they added a fifth trophy to this year’s impressive haul, having already won the treble and UEFA Super Cup.
      And the Cityzens will now be able to show off their latest achievement with a special badge.
      Club World Cup champions are allowed to wear a gold badge on their shirts until the next winner is crowned.
      Man City will be doing so with immediate effect, meaning they will complete a small kit change ahead of next Wednesday’s Premier League clash with Everton.
      Read More on Football
      However, Liverpool were banned from making the change after they won the Club World Cup back in 2019.
      The Reds defeated Flamengo 1-0 thanks to a late goal from Roberto Firmino.
      But they had to wait until the following season to wear the badge.
      Premier League rules at the time stated that kit changes could not be made during the season.
      Most read in Football
      FREE BETS – BEST BETTING OFFERS & NEW CUSTOMER BONUSES
      However, the ruling was later changed and Chelsea were given permission to wear the badge immediately after winning the competition in 2021.
      Following City’s 4-0 win over Fluminense, Guardiola admitted that it was time to “close the chapter”.
      He said: “We had the feeling we would close the chapter, we won all the titles, there’s nothing else to win.
      “I had a feeling the job was done, it was over.
      “Enzo [Maresca] helped us to win the treble, Mikel [Arteta] in my staff, all the players from day one. Vincent [Kompany] to Kyle [Walker] as captains, all the players helped us to achieve something incredible to be here and to play this tournament.
      “Now it’s Christmas time, buy another book and start to write it again. The last eight years, it’s over.” More