Club World Cup to feature 32 teams in 2025, says FIFA president Infantino

[December 16, 2022] By Karolos Grohmann

AL RAYYAN, Qatar (Reuters) -The 2025 Club World Cup will feature 32 teams, making the format similar to the ongoing soccer World Cup, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Friday.

He said the tournament, which currently involves seven teams, would be held every four years and would boost revenues for the global sports body further.

Currently the top teams of every continental competition as well as the hosts' national champion battle it out for the Club World Cup title.

He said FIFA expected revenues of $11 billion for the four-year period between 2022 and 2026 but that did not include the new club World Cup format in 2025.

"This 11 billion figure is without the club World Cup (in 2025). At the end of the four years we will make even more revenues," Infantino told a news conference.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino during the press conference REUTERS/Gareth Bumstead

The 2026 World Cup will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Infantino also said that the 2022 Club World Cup, traditionally held in December but delayed this year due to the ongoing World Cup in Qatar, will be hosted by Morocco between Feb. 1-11 2023.

The decision was taken by the FIFA Council following its meeting on Friday.

(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann and Rohith Nair in Al Rayyan, Qatar; editing by Pritha Sarkar)

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