Europe’s top clubs were left in the DARK over FIFA’s plans to launch 32-team Club World Cup in 2025

Europe’s top clubs have yet to see any formal proposals for the 32-team Club World Cup which FIFA intend to launch in 2025. 

Sportsmail revealed on Monday that the European Clubs Association had refused to endorse FIFA’s plans at a Board meeting last week, but president Gianni Infantino went ahead anyway and announced an expanded competition at a press conference in Doha today.

Infantino did not offer any further details about the rebooted Club World Cup other than claiming it will feature eight more teams than the 24-team version that was cancelled in 2021 due to the pandemic, and has not shared detailed proposals with the clubs he wants to compete in it either. 

Europe’s top clubs have yet to see any formal proposals for the 32-team Club World Cup which FIFA intend to launch in 2025

FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced the plans for a Club World Cup at a Doha press conference

The leading clubs and league’s have major concerns about scheduling, the international calendar and player burnout which they want to be addressed before signing up to the new competition.

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters outlined his opposition to radical changes to the international calendar last year, a view shared by top clubs throughout Europe.

‘The Premier League is committed to preventing any radical changes to the calendar that would adversely affect player welfare and threaten the competitiveness, calendar, structures and traditions of domestic football,’ Masters said. 

‘This process should also involve meaningful agreements with the leagues that provide the foundations for the game.’

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters outlined his opposition to radical changes to the international calendar last year

Infantino’s bold move in announcing a new competition before reaching agreement with the clubs is a well-worn tactic, which he also deployed in relation to the women’s game by saying a Club World Cup would also begin in 2025. 

FIFA have made similar announcements before in each of the last three years, without disclosing any details or addressing the issue that such a competition would be dominated by European clubs.

Infantino also confirmed his intention to stay on as president until 2031 by seeking a third full term after he is re-elected for a second four-year stint next March. 

A quirk of FIFA’s statutes means the first three years of Infantino’s presidency – when he completed an unfinished term started by Blatter – does not count against the 12-year limit agreed to in reforms passed during a prolonged corruption crisis before his first election.