FIFA confirm 32 team Club World Cup will happen
Gianni Infantino has confirmed that FIFA will be holding a 32 team Club World Cup in the future, replacing the current seven team format.
Infantino kicked off the World Cup in Qatar several weeks ago with a bizarre statement in which he put everyone on blast for criticising the decision to host the tournament in the country.
The Swiss-Italian criticised the 'west' for their hypocrisy and surprised everyone by starting his comments by saying, "Today I have strong feelings. Today I feel Qatari. I feel Arab. I feel African. I feel gay. I feel disabled. I feel a migrant worker."
The FIFA president, who decided to ban the wearing of One Love armbands during the tournament, was later booed when shown on the screen during a couple of games.
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Infantino's popularity during the World Cup hasn't got any better, and it won't have helped that he and FIFA have decided against setting up a fund for migrant workers.
They also came under criticism for the fact that the next edition of the tournament, in the US, Mexico and Canada, was initially going to be held with three team groups.
That's due to it being extended to a 48 team competition, and it's not the only tournament getting extended, with Infantino revealing on Friday that the Club World Cup will be becoming a 32 team tournament.
The competition is currently played by seven teams mid season but from 2025 will be extended and played in the postseason period in the summer.
"32-team tournament will go ahead, making it like a World Cup," the FIFA boss said in his end of World Cup statement.
The current format of the competition is contested by the winners of the six Confederation titles, as in the UEFA Champions League winners and Asian Champions League winners, etc, as well as the champions of the host country.
Those teams will certainly be involved in the 2025 version, whilst previous seasons winners or Europa League winners, and the like, will most likely make up the rest of the teams.
It will mean those 32 sides playing at least three games in the group stages, as well as last 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final.
Infantino first suggested extending the competition back in 2016, with FIFA looking to get more broadcasters and sponsors interested in it.
Real Madrid are set to take part in this year's version of the competition, although with the actual World Cup taking place this winter it's obviously due to be at the beginning of next year.
Infantino revealed that it will be held in Morocco from February 1st to 11th, after the African side became the first from the continent to reach a World Cup semi-final.
As well as the men's competition, Infantino also revealed plans for the world football body to host a Women's World Club Cup in the future.
He also doubled down on his pre-tournament prediction, by claiming Qatar had been the 'best World Cup ever.'
Topics: FIFA, Gianni Infantino, FIFA Club World Cup, FIFA World Cup
Ryan Sidle