FIFA announces first expanded club World Cup in China

FIFA have announced that the first expanded version of the new Club World Cup featuring 24 clubs, including eight from Europe, will be played in China in June and July of 2021, reports www.90min.com.

A precursor to the FIFA Club World Cup was contested in January 2000, but it was cancelled in 2001 and it wasn’t until December 2005 that a tournament appeared like we know today.

It took over the earlier Intercontinental Cup that had famously pitted the champions of Europe against the champions of South America each year, initially played as a home and away legged tie, but later as a one-off game in neutral Japan.

The current annual FIFA Club World Cup is contested by just seven teams, the reigning continental champion of each of the six FIFA confederations – UEFA, CONMEBOL, CAF, AFC, CONCACAF and OFC – as well as a representative of the nation hosting the tournament.

But the new expanded version that will kick off in 2021, which was approved by FIFA in March of this year, will have more than three times the number of clubs. It will also only be played once every four years, much like the traditional international World Cup.

Of the 24 competing teams, eight will be from Europe. There will be a further six from South America, giving the two continental powerhouses 14 of the available places between them.

Africa, Asia and North & Central America will be allowed three clubs, while the final spot will be fought over by a representative of Oceania and a representative of the host nation.

According to AP, the European places in 2021 will go to each of the Champions League and Europa League winners from 2018 to 2021. In the event of multiple wins by one club and/or a maximum number of clubs per country, places could be given to runners-up.

In theory, that means Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Liverpool and Chelsea have qualified so far.

As for the six South American places, the 2019 and 2020 winners of the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana will get four of them, but there is not yet a plan for the remaining two.