FIFA president Infantino pitches sweeping changes to Club World Cup
FIFA president Gianni Infantino's fondness for competition expansion isn't just limited to the World Cup.
Infantino says he wants to move the FIFA Club World Cup from December to June and expand it to a 32-team competition in order to rejuvenate it and bring more prestige and spotlight to the event.
The Club World Cup, which features the club champions of regions around the world (and of the host nation), is currently played every December and features seven teams. It'll be held in Japan this year.
“Today football is not just about Europe and South America, the world has changed and that’s why we need to make the Club World Cup more interesting for teams, and also for fans around the world,” Infantino told Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo. “That’s what we’re trying to do, by creating a tournament that is much more attractive, with more quality among participants and more clubs. That will attract more sponsors and television companies from around the world.”
Infantino, who wants to expand the international World Cup to 40 or 48 teams, reportedly eyes a club competition along the lines of the Champions League, with group and knockout stages. It's unclear how the field would be determined and when changes would take effect, though Infantino says 2019 would be a target.
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