The European club association ECA has pledged support to the world football association FIFA for the Club World Cup, which has been expanded to 32 teams, from 2025.
This is one of the key elements of the memorandum of understanding renewed between FIFA and ECA on Monday in Budapest. With the agreement valid until December 31, 2030 “for long-term stability” be catered for in club and national team football.
ECA is committed to the match calendar
At their 29th General Assembly, the ECA clubs committed to adhering to the international match calendar until 2030, as decided by the FIFA Council in mid-March.
“This is a momentous day for the future of football‘ said FIFA President Gianni Infantino: ‘The ECA’s endorsement of the new international match calendar ensures the necessary balance between club and national team football.”
Clubs get more money for World Cup participants
There are twelve European starting places in the bloated Club World Cup, the tournament is played every four years. In addition, an increase in the compensation for the clubs at the upcoming World Cups was decided. According to this, the clubs will collect around 330 million euros for players seconded to the national teams in the upcoming tournaments in 2026 and 2030 instead of just under 200 million in 2018 and 2022.
The agreement in principle also includes the organization of an annual match between the winner of the European Champions League and the winner of an intercontinental play-off tournament, as well as the creation of a Club World Cup for women footballers.
ECA President Al-Khelaifi: “We are very happy”
“We are very happy to have signed this landmark agreement‘ said ECA Chair Nasser Al-Khelaifi: ‘The Memorandum of Understanding recognizes the central role of clubs in football around the world and ensures that they are appropriately involved in decision-making processes that affect them.”