Expanded FIFA Club World Cup: Tournament News & General Discussion [R]

That would be the best and easiest solution. But if they must have this thing, I always felt having it the year after the WC made more sense than the year before. Especially, if FIFA doesn't want it framed as a WC preparation tournament, which inevitably will happen in 2025.

If its played the year after a WC, the Club WC could replace the June FIFA window so that the tournament doesn't extend so far into the summer. The June FIFA window one year after a WC is pretty much a waste of time anyway - players going through the motions before their summer vacation. The June window before a WC is of course going to be packed with WC qualifiers.

 

It would conflict with the Women's World Cup though.
(Which personally I do not care about but other people do.)

 

True, but I think that's only an issue if both were played in the same country (or same region, maybe).

Women's WC can also start in early-July, if FIFA wants.

 

The June window in the year after the WC has the UNL Final Four and EURO Qualifiers.

 

Come on now.... You got the chicken and egg mixed up.

Those are made-up events that filled a gap where nothing was happening. We haven't even had a UNL playoffs yet under the new format.

 

The UNL Final Four has been held twice in the June window in the year after the WC in 2019 and 2023 and this schedule will continue in the future.

EURO Qualifiers have always been held in that window too.

 

A full UNL season only needs 4 windows to be played (or 3 under the new calendar that begins in 2026). Three for the group stage and 1 for the playoffs. So, Sept to March would be sufficient. Of course, now that they expanded the UNL playoffs (which also makes a mess of the Euro and UEFA WC qualifiers) that's not possible anymore.

In any case, it still makes more sense to have the expanded CWC the year after the WC for the other reasons I mentioned. I don't see any benefit for having it the year before a WC, other than the money comes 2 years sooner for FIFA.

 

FIFA specifically wanted to fill the slot left voided by the Confederations Cup.
They are not going to move it to the year after the World Cup.

 

A tournament which could never shed the 'warm-up tournament' label and died with few people missing it.

 

"¡Estamos en la C!"

 

Yes, usually 8 MDs for NL, but with the additional League A QFs it has to be 10 MDs.

They have not messed up the European Qualifiers though because - unlike between 2018 and 2023 - teams will complete their NL campaigns before starting their qualifiers in March, June or September, depending on whether they're in 4 or 5 team groups and whether they play NL KO ties.

Scrapping the June window in the year before the WC is not an option.

 

The first women's club WC has been confirmed. It will be a 16-team tournament in early 2026.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cd131x9wd2yo.amp

Frankly, it makes more sense than a 32-team men's CWC.

 

River Plate have qualified. That's 29 teams known, 3 TBD. Boca Juniors almost certainly to be one of the last 3 to qualify.

 

Pretty much a blockbuster line-up of clubs.

 

The UEFA contingent also could have been alot stronger, both from a quality standpoint and in terms of fan appeal. Having Chelsea instead of a Man utd or Liverpool; Salzburg instead of Arsenal, Ajax/PSV or a 2nd French team like Marseille. And of course Atleti instead of Barca.

C'Bol pretty much sent the best though so far. Still one more TBD, however, which could be a relatively small club.

I am clueless about the rest, though obviously no cr7 will have saddened FIFA.

 

Yes, there are some clubs with less international appeal - even Chelsea and Man City are relatively limited compared to Man Utd, Liverpool and Arsenal - but that was expected with the two clubs per country cap.

 

A possible players' strike looms: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c2jjmn7ex4vo.amp

Posting this here because this tournament seems to be the tipping point.

 

I am trying to hold my tongue here but I just cannot.
Do I think there's too many competitions and too many things going on each cycle? Yes. Especially Club football tournaments that are antiquated and boring.

However, to say things like "There is an emergency - we are in danger," said Terrier. "Players have gone beyond the limit and the international timetable is full to the brim."
Makes me roll my eyes a bit. Most of these guys are pampered Millionaires. Hard for me to play a violin and shed any tears here.

 

"Antiquated" is the right word. When will FIFA learn that Man City v Leeds draws more interest than Man City v Al Habab or whoever. Club world championships have been done to death. They don't work. Maybe a good idea initially, but not a single memorable intercontinental club match in the last ~40 years.

And also, millionairs or not, it seems like a small ask to have only one club WC in a given year. It's already bad enough to dilute a failed tournament.

 

But FIFA wants to use the expanded Club WC to help develop club football outside Europe.

It will of course be very difficult to do so, but it believes having a route for several clubs in each continent to play European clubs will be a catalyst to growing club football around the world.

One thing I hope it ushers in is domestic premier leagues reduced to a maximum of 18 clubs each playing 34 games which fits a 9-month season (it means league football only on weekends so cup games can be played midweek).