FIFA EXPANDS CLUB WORLD CUP AND APPROVES NEW TOURNAMENT

 

FIFA Council while in Rwanda also concluded plans for an expanded Club World Cup which will see Chelsea play in the first edition in the summer of 2025.
The four Champions League winners from 2021 to 2024 will qualify for the tournament, which guarantees a place for Chelsea and last year's victors Real Madrid, plus the 2023 and 2024 winners.
Twelve of the 32 teams taking part will be from Europe and the tournament will be held every four years. The remaining eight European places are likely to be allocated according to UEFA club co-efficient rankings.This year's seven-team tournament is being held in Saudi Arabia in December.

Image:Real Madrid celebrate winning the Club World Cup last month

Real Madrid won the 2022 Club World Cup in Morocco last month, beating Al-Hilal 5-3 in the final of the seven-team tournament.

In addition, the FIFA Council also unanimously approved plans for a new annual competition between the champions of its six confederations.

The first competition will be held next year and will feature the Champions League winners playing the winners of the international confederations play-offs.

This competition will replace the current seven-team format of the Club World Cup, meaning the 2023 Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia will be the last in the current format.

The new - and as yet unnamed - competition will begin in 2024, followed by the reworked Club World Cup a year later.