The first FIFA Club World Cup tournament in 2021 will be held in China. This news was announced by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, stating that it will be the first real world club championship.
Until now, the winners of the FIFA Club World Cup have been determined at the end of each year after a short tournament where seven teams from different continents competed. The competition in this format will end in 2020.
According to FIFA's plan, starting from 2021, the club world championship would take place every four years in June-July, with 24 teams from around the world competing. 8 spots would be reserved for Europe.
However, in Europe, this project did not generate interest, and the continent's most famous clubs even threatened to boycott the tournament. The European Club Association (ECA) also did not approve of the expanded competition format.
"This is a historic decision. The new tournament is for everyone who loves football and cares about the future of this game. This will be the first Club World Cup where the best will compete," - G. Infantino expressed no doubt about the success of the project.
China won the right to organize the inaugural Club World Championship without competition, as no other candidates emerged.
