FIFA has plans to revamp the international football schedule for both men and women
FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced on Friday the curtain-raiser of a new 32-team men’s Club World Cup to launch in June 2025.
Ahead of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the tournament will seek a different format as it would act “like a World Cup.”
Unlike the current format that sees seven clubs from six different confederations participate, Infantino has voiced that the 2025 edition will be diverse without citing any specific details.
“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,” the FIFA president said.
“The new competition will take place in 2025 and will feature 32 teams, making it really like a World Cup,” Infantino added.
In the press conference, Infantino also confirmed that Morocco would host the 2022 Club World Cup between 1 February and 11 February 2023.
The qualified teams to play in the 2022 Club World Cup are Real Madrid (UEFA), Flamengo (CONMEBOL), Wydad Casablanca (CAF), Seattle Sounders (CONCACAF), Auckland City (OFC), and Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia (AFC).
It isn’t definite which Moroccan team will participate as the host squad since Wydad Casablanca qualified as CAF Champions League winners.
The North Africans hosted the Club World Cup in 2013 and 2014, while the most recent edition was held in the United Arab Emirates in February of this year, with Chelsea lifting the trophy.
New FIFA tournaments
FIFA has also announced a new friendly dubbed FIFA World Series that brings clubs from different confederations to face off with one another.
FIFA Women’s Club World Cup and a FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup, leading to more opportunities for women footballers.
The football governing body has also endorsed expanding the Olympics Games Women’s tournament from 12 to 16 teams.
The 2027 and 2031 Women’s World Cup hosts will be chosen in 2024 and 2025, respectively, while the 2030 World Cup host will be decided in 2024.