FIFA looking at annual Club World Cup

A person with knowledge of the talks tells The Associated Press FIFA President Gianni Infantino is doubling down on his Club World Cup plans with a proposal for an annual tournament despite European soccer’s resistance to any competition that challenges the supremacy of the Champions League.

The revised proposal amends an initial plan to play a 24-team Club World Cup every four years. The new format will be discussed at the FIFA Council meeting in Rwanda on Friday, the person said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions were confidential.

UEFA has stymied Infantino’s attempts since March to gain approval for the new FIFA competitions, which will have $25 billion of income guaranteed by an international consortium including Japan’s SoftBank.

The proposals, which include a global Nations League as a mini-World Cup every two years, were formed by FIFA to eliminate two littleregarded competitions: the current annual seven-team Club World Cup held in December and the Confederations Cup for international teams held every four years. The proposal only covers men’s soccer, not new competitions women.

The original plan sent to FIFA Council members in April said a 24-team Club World Cup would be worth at least $3 billion for each edition, played in June-July every fourth year from 2021 through 2033.