FIFA is set to call a vote for a new expanded 24-team Club World Cup that may be launched in 2021, with a plan to hold it every four years.
The mega-money tournament that will involve 12 teams from Europe is reported to have already received the backing of Spanish giant clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid.
The tournament could earn participants well over £100million, but UEFA and the Premier League are said to be furious with the proposal and will oppose the new competition.
UEFA believes the new competition will belittle the Champions League, rightly regarded as Europe’s top club competition.
The plan is the brainchild of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who has been in the hunt for sponsors for the tournament.
The football chief hopes a decision can be made before the upcoming World Cup in Russia, which begins on 14 June.
According to reports, first invitees would include Liverpool, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan, Bayern Munich, Ajax and Inter Milan. Juventus would also be invited on the basis of having won two European Cups and two Intercontinental titles.
The three other European places would be selected by a separate process, so far undetermined, with other leading clubs such as Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Porto, Benfica, and Borussia Dortmund in the mix.
While the winner of the competition would take home around £100million, participation alone would ensure clubs get a share of the mouth-watering kitty said to be around £1.5 billion.
The new-face Club World Cup will however mean the end of the Confederations Cup, a tournament held every four years, 12 months before the World Cup.
China has already expressed an interest to host the first edition of the tournament should it be approved by the world football’s governing body.
