FIFA Club World Cup to feature 32 teams from 2025, says president Infantino

After a delay due to COVID, FIFA’s premier competition for football clubs will be expanded to 32 teams.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino gives a press conference Qatar National Convention Center (QNCC) in Doha on Friday. | Photo Credit: AFP

FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Friday said that 32 teams will feature in the Club World Cup from 2025.

“There will be a club World Cup with 32 teams held every four years. And the first edition would be held in the summer of 2025. It will be in the slot of the Confederations Cup,” Infantino said.

This event has been postponed multiple times, first because of COVID and then in 2021 to accommodate the Copa and Euro. Infantino added.

The Club World Cup will be the second FIFA tournament to see an expansion in the number of teams. The 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be hosted, by USA, Mexico and Canada, was also expanded to 48 teams from the present format of 32 teams.

The current format features seven teams in a 10-day format. Champions from North America, Asia, Oceania and Africa face off in the quarterfinals. The winners face the champions from Europe and South America in the semifinals before two teams make it to the summit clash.

USA’s Seattle Sounders (North America), Spain’s Real Madrid (Europe), Morocco’s Wydad (Africa) and New Zealand’s Auckland City (Oceania) are the teams that have sealed their places in the 2022 edition to be played in Morocco from February 1-11.

The details still need to be discussed, agreed and decided by FIFA. Infantino added that a women’s Club World Cup is also being planned. The football’s governing body also introduced FIFA Women’s Futsal World Cup. Apart from FIFA’s club competition, the Under-17 World Cups will also be changed to an annual format.

Infantino added that FIFA is expected to generate USD 11 billion in revenue for the four-year cycle between 2022 and 2026 excluding the Club World Cup.