If successful, it could follow the example of the English Premier League and Champions League as one of the most popular and profitable sporting competitions in the world, generating billions of euros (dollars).
Conversely, it could spark a backlash from players and coaches, who are already complaining about the crowded fixture schedule.
“I’m not against new competitions, I’m against the lack of time to recover year after year. This has to change,” Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola said on Monday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where he aims to win the final Club World Cup. Cup before it was radically rebooted.
The International Players Association (FIFPRO) went further after the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) announced the dates for the first edition of the expanded tournament, which will be hosted by the United States from June 15 to July 13, 2025.
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“The intense mental and physical pressures at the peak of the game are a major concern for players participating in multiple club and national team competitions, leading to fatigue, physical injuries, mental health problems, decreased performance and risks throughout a career,” the FIFPro said. .
FIFA said on Sunday that the dates “will be harmoniously aligned with the international match calendar” to ensure adequate rest for players before the start of the domestic leagues.
But a significantly expanded tournament in 2025 means the top players will face three consecutive years of major competitions during the usual break, given that the European Championship and Copa America will be held in 2024 and the next World Cup in 2026.
It is planned that the Club World Cup will be held every four years after 2025.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “Clubs play an essential role in world football, and the Club World Cup will serve as a milestone in providing clubs from all confederations with an appropriate stage to shine at the highest level of the game.”
It is one of the oddities of football that a global club event has not captured the imagination of fans and teams around the world.
In its current format, the European and South American champions enter the semi-finals and must play only two matches to win the title.
Most often, the final is between these two continents, with European teams dominating in the modern era. The only Brazilian team is Corinthians to break a 16-year European winning streak.
The sense of formality probably did not help the tournament attract wider interest, as teams from Asia and Africa are not expected to upset giants such as Real Madrid, Barcelona and Liverpool.
The fact that it is being staged in the middle of the European season doesn’t help.
These issues are addressed by the 32-team tournament, with 12 European teams and six South American teams participating. Asia and Africa will each have four teams, as well as four from North and Central America and the Caribbean.
The tournament will be held during the offseason for many leagues, a time when major tournaments are traditionally held. With the lack of competition from clubs like the Premier League, the Club World Cup has the potential to own the space surrounding the event.
The system will simulate the men’s and women’s World Cup finals, with eight groups of four. Two teams from each group qualify, leading to a knockout stage from the round of 16 to the final.
FIFA considered a six-match tournament in which eight group winners would advance to the quarter-finals. The concern was that this format might lead to too many dead matches in the group stage.
FIFA sets qualification criteria based on winning the biggest trophy in each association, such as the Champions League, and ranking points for performance in that competition.
Manchester City, Madrid and Chelsea have already qualified as the final three Champions League winners.
Bayern, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan, Porto and Benfica are also set to participate via their respective classification points, FIFA said.
The winners of the Copa Libertadores in the past three seasons, namely Palmeiras, Flamengo and Fluminense of Brazil, also qualified.
The Seattle Sounders qualified alongside Mexico’s Monterrey and Club Leon by winning the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
From Asia, Al Hilal Saudi Arabia and Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan secured two places in the tournament.
Among the African participants are Al-Ahly of Egypt and Wydad of Morocco.
Oceania will be represented by New Zealand’s Auckland City FC.
Countries are limited to two teams unless more than two teams win a continental title. The expanded tournament will be the first without popular English teams Liverpool and Manchester United.
FIFPRO has called for discussions on the introduction of player health and safety regulations as a “matter of urgency”.
A report issued by the International Players’ Union this year analyzed the impact of what it described as “severe calendar congestion” last season when the World Cup was held in Qatar in November and December. It said 43% of World Cup players surveyed suffered from “severe or increasing mental fatigue.”
Last season, Manchester United and Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes made 70 appearances for club and country, including 20 in a row. Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri has played in 10 different competitions.
“If you look at it, it’s a bit crazy – the rest we get and the risk of injuries. If we play this number of games for a long time, the games will lose energy and strength,” City midfielder Bernardo Silva said on Monday. “The games make it difficult to be fit all the time and have our energy levels right.”
To increase the demands on players, the restarted Club World Cup comes at the end of the first season of the revamped Champions League, which sees teams playing eight matches in the first stage, instead of six.
While the Club World Cup has been expanded, FIFA will also hold the Intercontinental Cup annually. It appears that it will replace the current Club World Cup, and will see the winner of the Champions League face the winner of a play-off between the champions of the other federations.
Graham Dunbar contributed to this story from Jeddah.
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Football fans around the world are buzzing with excitement as FIFA gears up to launch its rebooted Club World Cup. The new format promises to shake up the world of football and potentially change the face of the sport as we know it. However, there is also speculation that the tournament could spark a player backlash, with concerns over fixture congestion and player burnout. As the footballing world eagerly anticipates the tournament’s impact, it is clear that we are on the brink of a major shift in the global game.