FIFA chief Gianni Infantino introduced plans for a 32-team Membership World Cup from 2025, regardless of reported opposition from Europe’s largest golf equipment.
An enlargement of the competitors has lengthy been a pet challenge of Infantino’s. A 24-team occasion, that includes eight sides from Europe, was deliberate for 2021 in China however was placed on maintain as a result of coronavirus pandemic.
Infantino stated the new-look event can be even greater than first deliberate.
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“We had agreed a couple of years in the past to have a brand new 24-team males’s Membership World Cup,” the FIFA president stated on the World Cup in Doha.
“It ought to have taken place in 2021 however was postponed due to Covid. The brand new competitors will happen in 2025 and can characteristic 32 groups, making it actually like a World Cup.”
Stories within the British media this week stated European golf equipment had rejected FIFA’s proposal to launch the new-look competitors.
The plans are for an expanded event to be held each 4 years as a substitute of yearly, as is the case for the present seven-team occasion.
“The primary version will happen in 2025 in the summertime and through that slot the place in previous years it was the Confederations Cup,” Infantino stated.
“Will probably be barely longer as a result of there shall be 32 groups however they would be the greatest groups on the planet who shall be invited to take part.”
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Infantino stated subsequent 12 months’s Membership World Cup, in its present format, would happen in Morocco from February 1 to 11, 2023.
Morocco hosted the event in 2013 and once more in 2014, whereas the newest version was held within the United Arab Emirates in February, with Chelsea lifting the trophy.
The 2023 event is ready to proceed in its current format — up till now it has featured the six continental champions plus the highest aspect from the host nation.
Actual Madrid will symbolize Europe after successful final season’s UEFA Champions League.
Flamengo of Brazil, Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia, Wydad Casablanca of Morocco, Seattle Sounders from america and New Zealand’s Auckland Metropolis are the opposite present continental champions.