Fifa, the Club World Cup debuts in 2025. But the Leagues oppose it

by our correspondent Fabio Licari

December 16th
Doha (Qatar)

In June 2023 there will be the Nations League in Holland (with the Azzurri), in 2024 the European Championship in Germany (hopefully with the Azzurri), in 2026 the World Cup in Canada, the USA and Mexico, but don’t make any appointments for summer 2025: it is now official, the Club World Cup makes its debut. It could last almost as long as a World Cup. It is one of the novelties revealed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino at the end of the FIFA Council. Not the only one.

WORLD CLUBS

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The old project worked out with former councilor Boban eventually becomes a reality. A Club World Cup every four years, from June 2025, to 32 teams. The formula should be the usual one: 8 groups of 4 teams. The venue is not decided, but probably the same as the American World Cup. Qualification for Europe through the cups: the European will be at least 12.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AT 48

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The following year, 2026, the first 48-team World Cup. The project had already been completed with 16 groups of 3, and the first 2 qualified, “but the beauty of the groups of 4 of this World Cup pushes us to change our minds”, added the president. The most probable formula, which has been known for some time, is with 12 groups of 4. In practice, whoever reaches the final plays 8 games and no longer 7.

WORLD FORUM LEAGUES: NO –

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The response from the World Forum of Leagues, of which Serie A is also a part, was immediate. FIFA creates the risk of match congestion, further player injuries and distortion of the competitive balance.”

CALENDAR

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It will not be easy to reorganize the international calendar. It is now official that the September and October dates will be compacted to the end of September with 4 games together instead of 2 per month. The World Series will make its debut in March 2025, a new appointment for friendly matches between national teams from different continents (but it should concern the “small” teams).

ELECTIONS

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Infantino will be re-elected on 16 March 2023 at the Fifa Congress in Kigali (Rwanda). President since 2016, confirmed as early as 2019, he theoretically has a horizon of another nine years, up to 2031, three terms (plus the first three years). Fifa has announced a turnover of 7.5 billion dollars for the four-year period 2018-22 and expects a drastic increase for the next four years, up to 2026: 11 billion without counting the Club World Cup.