FIFA call emergency Club World Cup meeting as doubts over tournament grow amid lack of interest

FIFA new-look competition in 2025 will see 32 teams from around the world play matches across the space of a month in the US - though chief Gianni Infantino is said to be eager to drum up interest

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has reportedly called an emergency meeting amid concern over a lack of interest in their new Club World Cup expansion.

Officials at football's world governing body were said to have been called in for discussions with TV executives to drum up interest in the revamped tournament ahead of its launch next year, according to The Athletic.

The new competition in 2025 will see 32 teams from around the world play matches across the space of a month in the US - the same place where the next World Cup in 2026 will be held.

Manchester City, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are among the 12 European teams set to be included, while six South American teams, four from Asia, Africa and north & central America and one from Oceania also make the cut.

However, there are few other details available on which exact locations games will be staged and FIFA are now said to be ramping up talks to secure sponsorships and decide on key details for the tournament - after a deal with tech giant Apple reportedly collapsed.

The report states that FIFA is yet to secure broadcasters, decide which venues will be used or which training bases will be given to teams. FIFA have also not informed clubs how much they can expect for taking part - after a £38m windfall for teams was initially mooted.

There has been huge opposition to the controversial tournament amid fears of player burnout - with Man City star Rodri recently claiming players could go on strike if they are pushed any further to their limit.

However, Infantino defended the tournament from criticism this summer, claiming the competition was no different from national team events like the World Cup.

“FIFA is organizing around one percent of the games of the top clubs in the world. When it comes to the national teams, it is very similar.

“If you look at all the national team games around the world, we still have between 1 and 2 percent of the matches which are organized by FIFA. All other matches, 98 to 99 percent, are organized by other organizations, by different leagues, associations and confederations.

“With this 1 or 2 percent matches that FIFA organizes, FIFA is financing football all over the world. The revenue that we generate are not just going to few clubs in one country. The revenue that we generate are going to 211 countries. No other organization does that. I hope that these figures… probably will stop this futile debate.”

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

Click here to read article