December 13, (THEWILL) – FIFA’s proposal for a significant relaunch of the Club World Cup has not been welcomed by the biggest clubs in Europe, as they view competition as an inconvenience lacking in prestige and potentially challenging.
When Manchester United, the then-champions of Europe, decided to skip the FA Cup in order to compete in the tournament, which was hosted in Brazil, it raised controversy in England during the 1999/2000 season.
The competition was still in its infancy at the time, but FIFA is seeking to grow it into a much larger event by making it a 32-team tournament that will be held every four years rather than once a year. Its format has not yet been decided, and the requirements for clubs to participate have not yet been established. A redesigned 24-team World Club Cup was scheduled to take place in China last year, but it was postponed because of the COVID-19 outbreak and ongoing restrictions in the nation.
The primary hurdle, though, will be UEFA, who are concerned that it may eventually rival and exceed the UEFA Champions league as the top club competition in football. On the other hand, FIFA is apparently eager to have the competition sanctioned swiftly so they may hold the game in the USA as a warm-up for the 2026 World Cup. Even while the talks are expected to continue, its prospects now seem to be evaporating.
