FIFA considering 24-team Club World Cup to be played in summer

FIFA is exploring expanding the Club World Cup to 24 teams from June 2021, a member of the ruling council said on Monday. The revamped tournament could open with three groups of eight teams and be played over 18 days. The proposals to enlarge the existing annual Club World Cup were outlined during a meeting in India last week but disclosed only on Monday by FIFA Council member Reinhard Grindel, reports ESPN. FIFA did not respond to requests for comment. FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who has previously floated plans for a 32-team Club World Cup, said last week that a review of international club, youth, and women's competitions would report to the next council meeting, in March.

FIFA have big plans for a new Club World Cup starting in less than four years. Here's everything you need to know: https://t.co/LIwyLZyYsB pic.twitter.com/VP7PXbNKsN

— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) October 31, 2017

But Grindel, who is also president of the German football federation, is already resisting plans to expand the Club World Cup. "he players need rest and time for recuperation in June," Grindel wrote on his Facebook page. "FIFA should focus on the competitions for national teams." The Club World Cup is a little-watched seven-team event staged annually in December featuring the champions of FIFA's six continental confederations, plus the host nation's league winner. The European and South American champions, who typically meet in the final, have only two games because they enter in the semifinals.

FIFA considering controversial 24-team Club World Cup expansion https://t.co/Eduvs1J4pw pic.twitter.com/yL7xCkyReO

— theScore FC (@theScoreFC) October 30, 2017

European fans have shown little interest in a competition that also clashes with their domestic leagues. Grindel said enlarging the Club World Cup "implies" the Confederations Cup would be scrapped. That eight-team tournament is staged a year before the World Cup, with Grindel's Germany winning this year's edition in July in Russia. Qatar would be unable to host a Confederations Cup in 2021 because of the summer heat in the Gulf nation that has already seen the World Cup pushed back to November and December in 2021. One possible host of a Club World Cup in 2021 is China. Chinese retailer Alibaba E-Auto signed as the Club World Cup title sponsor through 2022.

OFFICIAL: FIFA has decided to consider the Intercontinental cup as the equivalent of the club World Cup. Their recognized list of winners: pic.twitter.com/gwRhGIkfIJ

— Seleção Brasileira (@BrazilStat) October 28, 2017