Expanded World Cup for clubs with 32 participants in 2025 in United States
NOS Football–
The United States will host the 2025 World Cup for clubs, which will have 32 participants for the first time, it was decided at a meeting of world soccer federation FIFA. The tournament will last about three weeks and take place in June and July.
The World Cup for clubs is a good test case for the United States for the Nations World Cup a year later. That event the U.S. is co-hosting with Mexico and Canada. The same stadiums can be used for the World Cup for clubs, and FIFA can also assign matches to Mexico and Canada.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced late last year that the field of participants in the World Cup for clubs would be expanded to 32 clubs. In the current format, only seven teams participate, the six winners of the continental tournaments and the champion of the host country.
‘Expecting a big success’
According to FIFA, the event should become one of the leading tournaments for clubs in men’s soccer. “In the United States we see the ideal host to be the first to shape this tournament in the new format,” Infantino said. “The infrastructure is good and the fan interest is huge. We expect a great success.”
The exact dates, playing cities, playing schedule and qualification procedure of the expanded World Cup are not yet known. Earlier, FIFA announced that the continental champions will obtain a ticket to the World Cup during the 2021-2024 period.
With that, the latest Champions League winners Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester City, among others, may prepare for the World Cup. The tournament will be held every four years starting in 2025.
