FIFA to launch new 32-team men's Club World Cup from 2025

Gianni Infantino announces a new Club World Cup idea with 32 teams starting in 2025, and the president of FIFA acknowledges that the 2026 World Cup group stage structure will be "rediscussed" over 16 groups of three or 12 groups of four. FIFA also reveals intentions to start a brand-new friendly "World Series" league.
The new Club World Cup idea was originally scheduled to debut in China in 2021 with 24 teams, but was postponed owing to the pandemic. It is now expected to grow even more starting in June 2025.
Infantino said: “The new men’s Club World Cup will take place in 2025 and will feature 32 teams. The 32-team tournament will go ahead, making it like the current World Cup.”
The current World Cup format, in existence since 1998, has 32 teams divided into eight groups of four. However, the FIFA Council decided in 2017 to divide the nations into 16 groups of three instead, which will result in a 48-team event in four years.