FIFA bestowed the glory of internet hosting the upcoming Club World Cup in February to Morocco on Friday because it expands the event to a 32-team version in 2025.
European champion Real Madrid, South American champion Flamengo and Seattle Sounders, the primary CONCACAF Champions League winner from the United States, will play within the conventional seven-team event from Feb. 1-11.
After Morocco’s inspiring run to the World Cup semifinals in Qatar, the nation will now stage the following world soccer occasion in six weeks’ time, FIFA’s ruling council determined.
It shall be one of many final seven-team editions for continental champions with an expanded, monthlong event deliberate to start out in 2025.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino stated the meant change was “making it actually like a World Cup.”
In Morocco, Casablanca ought to stage video games with the town set to offer two groups within the 10-day competitors, which options continental champions from every of the six confederations in world soccer.
Wydad received Africa’s Champions League final season and likewise the Moroccan league. The place FIFA reserves for the host nation’s home champion ought to revert to league runner-up Raja. Both groups are based mostly in Casablanca, the place the 67,000-seat Stade Mohammed V is the possible venue for a few of the eight Club World Cup video games.
Morocco additionally hosted Club World Cups in 2013 and 2014, which have been received by Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, respectively
Only European and South American groups have received the Club World Cup because it was revived within the present format in 2005.
FIFA has lengthy wished to launch an expanded model with 24 or 32 groups in a event performed in June.
A deliberate inaugural version in 2021 in China was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, although no event format had been agreed upon nor broadcasters or sponsors signed.
A 2025 launch is now deliberate, Infantino stated, promising talks with soccer stakeholders after the ruling council authorised the precept Friday.
It might be hosted within the United States and function a check occasion for the 2026 World Cup, which is being hosted within the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
