FIFA President announces major update regarding Club World Cup
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino
Gianni Infantino, FIFA President, recently announced a 32-team Club World Cup for men will take place in 2025. This follows the postponement of the proposed FIFA event that was due to begin in China in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The tournament will begin in June of that year and negotiations are underway to decide the exact details of the competition, which will be similar to a 32-team global World Cup.
FIFA is looking to hold an enlarged Club World Cup every four years instead of the current annual event, which doesn’t generate much interest beyond South America. They wanted to finalize the agreement at the European Clubs Association’s meeting in Doha on Friday, however, President Infantino pulled out when it became clear that the plan wouldn’t be approved.
At a press conference prior to the World Cup final on Sunday, FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced ‘’The new men’s Club World Cup will therefore take place in 2205 and feature 32 teams, the best teams in the world.’’ Gianni Infantino affirmed that a Women’s Club World Cup will take place in 2025, however, the details of the tournament are still undisclosed. Negotiations have occurred in Qatar throughout the past fortnight, yet the clubs have declined to officially approve the plans.
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The 2026 FIFA World Cup to have 48 teams
The 1998 France World Cup saw the introduction of the now familiar format, which sees 32 teams divided into eight groups of four competing to reach the knockout rounds. This format has been in place for 24 years and seven editions, making it all that a generation of soccer fans has known. In 2026, the World Cup will expand to include 48 teams – 45 countries that qualify and the three host countries. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has declared that none of the host countries will have to participate in the qualifying rounds.
The current format of 32 teams being split into eight groups with the top two advancing to the knockout round is no longer the case. There will be more teams, more games, and more starting times as the tournament expands to a whopping 104 games. This will require the World Cup to be extended from its typical 32-day duration (29 days in Qatar) to a minimum of 35 days.
The World Cup has seen its biggest growth since it first began with 13 to 16 countries participating in 1930, 1934, 1938 and 1950. Subsequently, the tournament had 16 teams up until Spain ’82, where the number was increased to 24, and in France ’98, it was increased to 32. Now, the number has been raised to 48 teams, a 50% increase, which makes it difficult for any single nation to host it given the necessary venues and infrastructure.
Also Read: Qatar deserves a ‘Golden Boot’ award for hosting the FIFA World Cup in a clinical manner
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Ujan Chakraborty
(1240 Articles Published)