Izuchukwu Okosi
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, on Friday, revealed that the world football governing body will launch a new 32-team men’s Club World Cup, starting in the summer of 2025. He disclosed that FIFA would ‘rediscuss’ the 2026 World Cup group stage format.
The new Club World Cup concept was initially meant to launch last year 2021 in China, with 24 teams set to participate; but it was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. It is now set for further expansion from June 2025.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelMeanwhile, the current World Cup format, in place since France hosted the tournament in 1998 sees 32 teams drawn into eight groups of four. That format is also set to change at the expanded 48-team tournament in four years’ time, with the FIFA Council choosing in 2017 for the nations to be split into 16 groups of three.
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However, after the dramatic finale to the group stages in Qatar, Infantino, speaking at a press conference for the first time since his controversial speech on the eve of the tournament, revealed the group stage format could yet change.
Infantino said: “We have approved a 48-team World Cup format with 16 groups of three, of which the top two would then move to a knockout phase of 32, followed by 16, eight, four and then two.
Infantino described the opening stages of the World Cup as the ‘best ever’, and the tournament a ‘fantastic success’. He added that there are no small teams any more.
“I have to say that after this World Cup and the success of the groups of four, and looking as well at some other competitions like the Euros for example where you have 24 teams and the top two plus the best third ones go to the next stage.
“Here, the groups of four have been absolutely incredible in the sense that until the last minute of the last match, you wouldn’t know who goes through. We will have to revisit or at least rediscuss the format – whether we go for 16 groups of three or 12 groups of four. This is something that will certainly be on the agenda in the next meetings,” Infantino added.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
