FIFA has approved the scheme for the updated Club World Cup

The International Football Federation (FIFA) has approved a new scheme for holding the Club World Cup. From an intimate annual competition it will turn into a large-scale tournament with the participation of 32 of the strongest clubs on the planet. The first championship will take place in 2025 in the USA. The championship will be held once every four years. Each participant will receive at least $50 million.

The Council of the International Football Federation approved the scheme and timing of the updated Club World Cup. It will take place in the United States from June 15 to July 13, 2025. The tournament in its current form appeared in 2000 and provided for the participation of the strongest clubs of six continental confederations plus a club from the country hosting the championship. The competition was not popular, and therefore back in 2016, FIFA President Gianni Infantino came up with the idea of ​​reorganizing it. It took years to agree on the project, which was also facilitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The layout of the updated tournament is familiar. It almost completely copies the version in which, say, the final part of the 2022 World Championship was held (starting from 2026, the structure of the world championship will change, since the number of its participants will be increased from 32 to 48). 32 participants will be divided into eight groups of four in each, the two strongest teams from each group will advance to the play-offs, followed by knockout matches. There is only one difference from the scheme of the “real” World Championship – the absence of a match for third place. Europe received the largest number of vouchers – 12 places. Six places are allocated to South America, four each to CONCACAF (North and Central America), CAF (Africa) and AFC (Asia), one team will represent Oceania. Another place will be given to the team representing the host country.

However, the club championship has one more difference from the tournament with the participation of national teams – the absence as such of a specially organized qualifying stage. Instead, FIFA decided to use continental club championships – the Champions League of the European Football Union (UEFA) and its analogues in other confederations – to select participants. Indicators for four-year cycles will be taken into account (for the first tournament the cycle started in 2021). The winners of the continental championships (they exist everywhere except Oceania) will automatically receive tickets to the World Championships. In the case of Europe, this means that Chelsea (England), Real Madrid (Spain) and Manchester City (England) have already made it to the United States as winners of the Champions League of the last three seasons, as well as the club that will win it in this season. The remaining participants will be selected based on their continental ranking, for example the UEFA coefficient table, with the difference that only points scored in the Champions League (or other top continental tournament) will be taken into account. FIFA has also decided that no more than two clubs can represent one country at the World Cup. However, if it turns out that different clubs from the same country have won more than two Champions Leagues (or, say, Libertadores Cups) in a four-year cycle, then an exception will be made.

Considering that the qualifying period for the Club World Cup is already close to completion, more than half of the tournament participants are known in advance. From Europe, in addition to the mentioned “champions” Manchester City, Chelsea and Real Madrid, the participation of rated PSG (France), Inter (Italy), Bayern (Germany), Benfica and Porto has been confirmed. (both are Portugal). From Africa will play Al-Ahly (Egypt), Wydad (Morocco), from Asia – Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia), Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan), from North America – Monterrey, ” Leon (both Mexico), Seattle Sounders (USA), from South America – Palmeiras, Flamengo, Fluminense (all Brazil), from Oceania – Auckland City (New Zealand).

For clubs, participation in such a representative tournament promises to be not only prestigious, but also profitable. FIFA has not yet officially confirmed the size of the prize money, but it is expected that each club will receive at least $50 million for participating in the tournament. The prize money for the champion is expected to be $100 million. In general, FIFA plans to receive about $2.5 billion from the championship (of which $2 billion is expected to be allocated to encourage teams).

Alexander Petrov