FIFA chief announces plans for 32-team Club World Cup
The Hindu
An expansion of the competition has long been a pet project of FIFA chief Gianni Infantino
FIFA chief Gianni Infantino announced plans on Friday for a 32-team Club World Cup from 2025, despite reported opposition from Europe’s biggest clubs.
An expansion of the competition has long been a pet project of Infantino’s. A 24-team event, featuring eight sides from Europe, was planned for 2021 in China but was put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Infantino said the new-look tournament would be even bigger than first planned.
“We had agreed a few years ago to have a new 24-team men’s Club World Cup,”the FIFA president said at the World Cup in Doha on Friday.
“It should have taken place in 2021 but was postponed because of Covid. The new competition will take place in 2025 and will feature 32 teams, making it really like a World Cup.”
Reports in the British media this week said European clubs had rejected FIFA’s proposal to launch the new-look competition.
The plan drew a furious reaction from players’ union FIFPRO.
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