Plenty of big sides will be missing from the revitalised tournament
Manchester City's players look on after their UEFA Champions League exit.(Image credit: Getty Images)
"The positive impact this will have on clubs is going to be huge."
Those were the words ushered by former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, as FIFA announced its recent plans to revitalise their Club World Cup tournament that takes place every four years.
Not set to come into fruition until 2025, this year's crazy UEFA Champions League campaign has thrown a proverbial spanner in the works, with some of Europe's elite sides now set to miss out.
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After a dramatic round of quarter-final ties, Barcelona are the next powerhouse to have been condemned to their own non-inclusions, after losing to PSG at the last eight stage.
Fellow English giants Manchester United and Liverpool failed to make it into Europe's elite footballing club competition last season and therefore automatically miss out too.
Arsenal have also red-penned a potential place, after losing to Bayern Munich in a 3-2 aggregate defeat.
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Atletico Madrid secured their place despite crashing out of the Champions League, however, due to their co-efficient ranking, which is currently higher than reigning Spanish champions Barcelona.
Barcelona midfielder Ilkay Gundogan looks dejected after his side crashing out of the UEFA Champions League. (Image credit: Getty Images)
AC Milan won't be there either nor will a then 40-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo with Saudi outfit Al-Nassr.
Gianni Infantino's ambitious aims for the tournament came after lucrative new sponsorship and broadcast deals were drawn up for the 2025 tournament set to take place in the United States. Nothing is yet to be confirmed.
“It’s hard to see it cutting through, to be honest,” said David Murray, a sports-rights consultant. “By bringing in all those (extra) teams, you might get a few decent games, but it still has the feel of a pre-season tournament rather than a major event. It’s then not helped by the fact you’re missing three of the four biggest names in club football.
“With the best will in the world, Manchester City and Chelsea aren’t Manchester United and Liverpool when it comes to global prominence, and Barcelona are also a massive miss. Apart from the semis and the final, are people really going to be interested?”
A tough sell indeed, it remains to be seen whether Infantino's plans begin to come to fruition later down the line.
Bio: Matthew is a freelance journalist and has currently racked up bylines for Manchester United, Manchester Evening News, GOAL and SPORTbible to name a few. A long-term sufferer of Scunthorpe United, he currently resides in the north-west after escaping the smog of North Lincolnshire.
