FIFA has authorized plans for an expanded Club Globe Cup in 2025, with Chelsea and Genuine Madrid handed automatic qualification spots.
The existing format of the tournament includes seven teams competing for the title, but FIFA president Gianni Infantino revealed plans in December for an expanded 32-group tournament from June 2025.
As the final two winners of the Champions League, Chelsea and Genuine Madrid will be assured a spot in the tournament and two far more spots will be issued to the 2023 and 2024 Champions League winners.
As the Copa Libertadores is at the moment due to be held in November, South American clubs would not have completed their qualification tournaments in time to qualify for the new Club Globe Cup that year.
FIFA had initially planned to introduce a 24-group tournament in 2021, just before the COVID-19 pandemic thwarted an anticipated inaugural edition in China, but an even larger competitors will take spot just about every 4 years.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the Globe Cup final in December, Infantino stated the expanded tournament would be “like a Globe Cup”.
The international match calendar will be altered from 2025, with 1 extended break taking in 4 matches in late September and early October replacing two separate windows in September and October.
The governing physique stated that the other windows — in November, March and June — would stay unchanged.
Considering that taking more than from Sepp Blatter in 2016, Infantino has sought to expand the Club Globe Cup and add to the pool of teams.
Speaking in 2016, he stated: “Today football is not just about Europe and South America. The globe has changed and that is why we need to have to make the Club Globe Cup far more intriguing for teams, and also for fans about the globe.”
Genuine Madrid are the existing holders of the Club Globe Cup following defeating Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal final month to win the trophy for a record fifth time.
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The FIFA Club Globe Cup: Infantino’s proposed modifications
(Photo: Getty Pictures)