Cole Palmer guided the Premier League side to a resounding final victory over ten-man Paris Saint-Germain.

Palmer and Joao Pedro led Chelsea to an incredible 3-0 demolition of European champions in the FIFA Club World Cup final in New York.

In a blockbuster final at the MetLife Stadium, Palmer scored twice in an eight-minute spell in the opening half and then played through Joao Pedro just before the break to set up the Blues for a deserved triumph over the European champions.

Luis Enrique’s side, who were chasing a quadruple of major trophies during the 2024/25 campaign, were rocked by Chelsea’s first-half onslaught and looked a shadow of the team who demolished Real Madrid in the semi-finals.

The Londoners’ devastating performance provided a fitting climax to a hugely successful tournament and cements their status as one of the teams to beat in both the Premier League and UEFA Champions League next season.

Against a PSG side that had swept all before them in Europe and over the past month in the United States, Chelsea delivered a master class in pressing, played some telling passes that constantly stretched the star studded French side.

A total of 117 match officials – 35 referees, 58 assistant referees and 24 video match officials – from 41 member associations will take charge of the matches.

Commenting on the appointment of Team One, the chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, Pierluigi Collina, said that it would be a “privilege” for those chosen to officiate at the very first edition of the FIFA Club World Cup:

“As every new competition starts, the selected referees are among those who have the privilege to be part of this for the first time, so I’m sure that all the match officials will be thrilled.

“We are coming from high standard performances delivered during the last FIFA tournaments. So the bar is higher and when you get the bar higher, it’s more difficult to keep the standard. But we are working very hard and Team One will make a solid contribution to the success of this exciting competition.”

“I like to compare the preparation of a football team and a referee team because both need to work hard and deliver to the highest standards,” noted FIFA Director of Refereeing Massimo Busacca.

“We try to find as much uniformity and consistency as possible in what we are doing because football is the same everywhere, but we know that we have to understand the different mentality in football, and this is crucial,” he added.

In line with the changes to the Laws of the Game approved by The International Football Association Board (The IFAB), FIFA will implement new rules designed to cut down on time-wasting by goalkeepers. If a goalkeeper holds the ball for longer than eight seconds (with the referee using a visual five-second countdown), the referee will award a corner kick to the opposing team (rather than the current indirect free kick for more than six seconds).

In addition, following The IFAB’s support for FIFA’s undertaking to test body cameras worn by match officials to identify possible future use and develop quality and safety standards, referees will be equipped with body cameras on a trial basis at the FIFA Club World Cup. The live footage from these cameras will be made available to fans across the world via DAZN, the exclusive global broadcaster of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 .

“We think that it is a good chance to offer the viewers a new experience, in terms of images taken from a perspective, from an angle of vision, which was never offered before,” said Mr Collina, emphasising that it was a trial. “It also has a purpose in terms of referee coaching because, of course, having the possibility to see what the referee sees is important in the debriefing, to evaluate how the call was made by the referee. So, it’s a combination of a new experience for broadcasters and also for coaching purposes.“

The list of match officials appointed for the FIFA Club World Cup is available here.

Credit: FIFA

However, it’s the beginning of the season in Brazil and the four teams are going through very different situations. The Brazilian soccer season begins with the so-called state championships – and that is where we see how different the teams’ perspectives are. Fluminense, Flamengo and Botafogo are competing in the Campeonato Carioca, a regional championship for Rio de Janeiro; Palmeiras are playing in the Campeonato Paulista, in São Paulo.

On the evening of Monday, March 10, Palmeiras secured its place in the state final against Corinthians. In the complicated competition system, Verdão (big green), as it is known, only made it past the group stage in the last round – and, in the semifinals, it secured qualification with a penalty so controversial that it has been the main topic of sports programs ever since.

In Rio, Flamengo and Fluminense will play the grand final. Flamengo led the tournament from the start and its presence in the final seemed obvious. Fluminense, on the other hand, only made it to the knockout stages in its last game. And, apparently, it has been growing in production, which could be an advantage in this final stretch of the competition.

Botafogo, which ended 2024 as champion of Brazil and South America, suffered a dismantling of its winning team and suffered a disappointing ninth place (out of 12 teams) in the Campeonato Carioca. It did not even make it to the decisive stages and, now, it is looking to recapture the good times of last year. All four of them have their eyes on the beautiful trophy that was presented by FIFA president Gianni Infantino to the president of the United States, Donald Trump.

Credit: AIPS Media 

The New York departure event – a glittering celebration of this brand-new, generation-defining tournament – was attended by over 200 special guests. FIFA President Gianni Infantino and FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström were by joined by presidents, CEOs and guests from participating clubs, representatives of FIFA commercial and media partners, including the tournament’s exclusive global broadcaster, DAZN, as well as Tiffany & Co.’s leadership.

The event reached a crescendo with a headline performance from music icon Robbie Williams – who delivered an intimate stripped-back set from his incredible catalogue of greatest hits and new material – all after a soulful session with one of the world’s leading classical musicians, the pianist and composer Alexis Ffrench, who kicked off the event.

Over 140 days in 29 cities across 20 countries, this will be an epic journey for the trophy and a tournament that is breaking new ground and redefining global club football – and we’ve sent it off in style,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

“The FIFA Club World Cup Trophy Tour will give players, coaches and fans from all over the world the chance to see the most coveted prize in global club football live, taking their passion to the world and uniting them in their excitement and the dream of becoming the first winners of the new FIFA Club World Cup.”

The dazzling event coincided with the reopening of ticket sales for the inaugural tournament, with the general public now able to book their seats for all play-off matches, in addition to the group-stage matches offered in the first sales phase. Details of this sales phase can be found on FIFA.com/tickets.

A truly global journey to “Take It To The World!”

The FIFA Club World Cup Trophy will now travel to Europe and embark on an epic 147-day tour across 20 countries and 29 cities,

starting in Lisbon, Portugal. From Manchester to Tokyo, from Rio de Janeiro to Casablanca, this five-month journey will culminate in Miami in time for the tournament’s opening match on Saturday, 14 June 2025, when Inter Miami CF take on Al Ahly FC at the 65,000-seat Hard Rock Stadium.

The Trophy Tour’s objective is to ”Take It To The World!”, and FIFA is inviting all 32 participating clubs to celebrate with their fans and share what sets them apart, both on and off the pitch, with a global audience. Each stop will share stories of the spirit, soul and traditions of the participating clubs through once-in-a-lifetime moments and events for the public. Fans will be able to follow these stories with content and interviews from the tour available across DAZN.com.

For more information on the FIFA Club World Cup Trophy Tour and its journey, visit FIFA.com.

The innovative new FIFA Club World Cup Trophy was designed by FIFA and crafted in collaboration with global luxury jeweller, Tiffany & Co. It was first unveiled digitally in

November 2024 and officially presented for the first time during the tournament draw in Miami soon after. The dazzling trophy will be lifted for the first time at the MetLife Stadium in New York New Jersey on Sunday, 13 July 2025. Detailed information on the trophy design can be found on FIFA.com.

Fans can also find out all the information on the new club tournament with details of the qualified teams, groups, fixtures, competition format, hosts, tickets and more at FIFA.com. An exciting journey awaits the participating teams and their fans in the US from Saturday, 14 June, while all 63 matches will be available live and for free worldwide across DAZN.com.

Credit: FIFA

Not only did the draw present the world’s 32 leading clubs with the path that will propel one of them to become the first and only official FIFA world club champions, but it also provided the perfect stage for a dazzling moment. The new FIFA Club World Cup Trophy – the
eye-catching prize that will be lifted at the MetLife Stadium in New York New Jersey on Sunday, 13 July 2025 – was physically presented for the first time by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Brazilian great Ronaldo.

The full match schedule comprising the stadium and kick-off time for each fixture will be finalised and published based on the outcome of the draw in due course, considering a range of factors including sporting and player-centric criteria, local and travelling fans and global broadcast

considerations. Inter Miami CF, drawn in Group A alongside SE Palmeiras (BRA), FC Porto (POR), and Al Ahly FC (EGY) will open the tournament on Sunday, 15 June 2025 against 12-time CAF Champions League winners, Al Ahly, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

Fans wishing to keep up to date with the latest news and information regarding FIFA Club World Cup 2025 tickets can register at FIFA.com/tickets . Information about ticket and hospitality sales will be released in due course.

Credit: FIFA

The complainants are concerned by the impact of an overstuffed calendar on player health.

A statement said: “The complaint explains how FIFA’s imposition of decisions on the international calendar is an abuse of dominance and violates European Union law.”

FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP

The last straw for the complainants was the scheduling of a 32-team FIFA Club World Cup in the United States next summer. As well as adding matches, that could delay clubs’ pre-season tours designed to expand global fan bases.

LaLiga president Javier Tebas accused FIFA of “acting solely in its own interest, without considering the damage to the entire football ecosystem.”

“IT’S TOO MUCH”

French captain Kylian Mbappe, in a video aired at the three bodies’ news conference, said: “When it’s too much, it’s too much.”

The English Premier League’s ceo Richard Masters said: “It is getting to a tipping point. The feedback we have from players is that there is too much football being played and there is constant expansion.”

FIFA argues that the international calendar was approved by representatives of all continents including Europe after consultation with FIFPRO and leagues.

European governing body UEFA has also increased its schedule, notably with the new Champions League format, but not been targeted in the complaint to regulators.

Mathieu Moreuil, Premier League director of international football relations and EU affairs, said that was because FIFA was responsible for the international calendar and relations were different with UEFA thanks to dialogue.

BUSY SUMMER 

The English PFA highlighted that for some of its members “the 2024-25 season is set to roll almost seamlessly into the 2025-26 season”. The Premier League campaign finishes on May 25, before the Champions League final on May 31.

There will then be a window of international games from 2-10 June before the start of the extended Club World Cup. Manchester City have been rebuffed in reqesting a delay to their matches at the start of the 2025-26 season because of their involvement in the Club World Cup.

TRANSFER SYSTEM

Earlier on Monday, FIFA said it would start negotiations with the sport’s stakeholders on the transfer system after the EU ruled parts of it were unlawful.

FIFA regulations say a player who terminates a contract before its term “without just cause” is liable to pay compensation to the club, and where the player joins a new club they will be jointly liable for payment of compensation.

This follows a European Court of Justice assessment in favour of the former France player Lassana Diarra in a dispute with FIFA.

Credit: AIPS Media

CLUB WORLD CUPS

In the Club World Cups, whether recognised by FIFA or not (those from the time of the so-called Intercontinental Cup), history repeats itself: only teams from the Old Continent or South Americans reached the title.

In order not to be boring, mentioning each of them, we can highlight Real Madrid, from Spain, with their eight victories (counting the two phases); Milan, from Italy (four); Bayern Munich, from Germany (four); Boca Juniors, from Argentina (three); São Paulo, from Brazil (three)…

EUROPEAN DOMINANCE

If among the teams, whose tournament takes place every four years, Argentina is the most recent champion (after a 20-year fast since Brazil won the World Cup in Japan and South Korea), when we look at the competition of clubs, which is annual, we observe that for 11 seasons only teams from Europe have won the title – South America’s last victory was with Corinthians, from Brazil, in 2012, defeating Chelsea from England. And in some cases the South Americans didn’t even reach the final.

What is the reason for such a disparity? Of course, several reasons can be listed, but the main one, without a doubt, is the disparity in financial investment between European teams (often boosted by millionaire sponsorships from Arab funds and companies) versus those in South America.

In recent final between Manchester City and Fluminense, for example, the monthly salary of just two players from the England team would be able to pay the entire salary of the Brazilian team.

TRANSNATIONAL TEAMS

In this way, true transnational teams are created in Europe. Of the City team that took to the field in the decision on December 22nd, how many players were English (remembering that even their starting goalkeeper is Brazilian)?

And this economic difference is also felt (obviously to a lesser extent) in South America, with Brazilian clubs importing Argentines, Uruguayans and Colombians who ‘escaped’ European harassment, such as Jhon Arias (Colombia) and Germán Cano (Argentina), in Fluminense.

STARK DIFFERENCE IN INVESTMENTS

Of course, every worker has the right to practice their profession where they wish and where they are best paid. It was from this thought that, in 1995, the Bosman Law emerged.

However, the stark difference in investments is turning the competition between clubs into “Europe against the rest of the world” – with clear advantages for the Europeans.

Until the law came into being, there was little advantage for South Americans. Then… Well, just look at the last 11 disputes and you can see what happened.

Credit: AIPS Media 

The host selection process took into consideration the infrastructure and service requirements, as well as broader strategic objectives for the tournament.

The decision was reached based on the United States’ position as a proven leader in staging global events and because it would allow FIFA to maximise synergies with the delivery of the FIFA World Cup 2026, to the benefit of both tournaments and the development of football in the North American region. As a next step, FIFA will engage with the relevant stakeholders to finalise the dates, venues and match schedule of this new tournament.

“The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 will be the pinnacle of elite professional men’s club football, and with the required infrastructure in place together with a massive local interest, the United States is the ideal host to kick off this new, global tournament,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino. “With some of the world’s top clubs already qualified, fans from every continent will be bringing their passion and energy to the United States in two years’ time for this significant milestone in our mission to make football truly global.”

The slot allocation per confederation and the key principles of access were already confirmed by the FIFA Council earlier this year.

FIFA World Cup 2030 bidding process

To ensure additional consultation with all key stakeholders, in relation to the FIFA World Cup 2030, which will mark the centenary of men’s football’s showpiece tournament, the FIFA Council agreed to postpone the formal launch of the bidding process. Therefore, the relevant Bidding Regulations will be presented for approval at the next FIFA Council meeting, due to take place in September/October 2023, with the bidding process to be officially launched thereafter. The expected appointment of the host(s) by the FIFA Congress will also move from Q3 2024 to Q4 2024.

The FIFA Council also approved the Overview of Hosting Requirements for the FIFA World Cup 2030, which was prepared by the FIFA administration to allow all interested member associations to better understand the requirements for hosting the competition, including with regard to the required infrastructure, the legal framework that must be established and the environmental and social objectives that should be pursued.

Regulations for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Preliminary Competition approved

The FIFA Council also approved the Regulations for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Preliminary Competition, which kicks off in September 2023.

“With 48 teams participating in the next FIFA World Cup, the tournament will have an unprecedented impact on world football, especially as more nations will have the opportunity to secure their place to shine on the global stage,” said President Infantino.

Hosts of FIFA Congress and tournaments

Additionally, the FIFA Council confirmed that the 74th FIFA Congress, due to take place on 17 May 2024, will be hosted in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Council also appointed Indonesia as the host of the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2023, Colombia as the host of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2024, the Dominican Republic as the host of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2024 and Uzbekistan as the host of the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2024. The time frame for the respective competitions will be confirmed in due course.

The dates of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2023, which is due to take place in the United Arab Emirates, were moved from 16-26 November 2023 to 15–25 February 2024.

This follows the decision of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to postpone matches in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The game will take place on Friday, September 23, 2022 at a yet to be named venue in Europe.

The match will give Coach Otto Addo the platform to continue the assessment of his players in the build up to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 finals in Doha.

The Black Stars will play Portugal (November 24), South Korea (November 28) and Uruguay (December 2) while Brazil face Serbia (24 November), Switzerland (28 November) and Cameroon (December 2).

The international friendly match against the Brazil national team will give Ghana a boost going into the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 tournament.

Credit: Ghana FA

The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) have announced the initial 15 stadiums in contention to stage FIFA 2030 World Cup matches as a part of its joint bid with Portugal.

Barcelona’s Camp Nou and RCDE Stadium, Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu and Metropolitano, Valencia’s Nuevo Mestalla and Bilbao’s San Mamés are among venues named as potential hosts should the Iberian bid be successful.

Balaídos in Vigo, Riazor in A Coruña, El Molinón-Enrique Castro in Gijón and Anoeta in San Sebastián have also been put forward.

Zaragoza’s La Romareda, Murca’s Nueva Condomina, Sevilla’s Estadio La Cartuja, Málaga’s Esadio La Rosaleda and Las Palmas’ Estadio Gran Canaria complete the shortlist.

The venues were confirmed after a meeting between the RFEF, Spanish Government officials and representatives of the interested cities, stadiums and clubs.

It is expected that the list will be reduced to 11 Spanish venues, with an evaluation of the stadiums anticipated to take place until next November.

No deadline has been set for the final announcement.

Portugal is anticipated to put forward three stadiums.

That total of 14 venues would be two fewer than the 16 set to hold matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada – the first tournament to feature 48 teams.

Several of the shortlisted stadiums, including Balaídos, Riazor, El Molinón-Enrique Castro, La Romareda, Nueva Condomina, La Rosaleda and Gran Canaria, would need to undergo capacity expansion to meet the FIFA requirement of holding at least 40,000 spectators.

Semi-finals are expected to be in venues holding at least 60,000 fans and the final’s threshold is an 80,000-seat venue.

“This is the most important project that Spain will undertake in the next few years,” RFEF President Luis Rubiales said.

Spain previously hosted the 1982 World Cup.

La Romareda, Riazor, the Camp Nou, Santiago Bernabéu, Balaídos and El Molinón-Enrique Castro all held matches, plus the old San Mamés stadium.

La Cartuja – built for the 1999 World Athletics Championships – staged matches in the delayed Euro 2020 last year following Bilbao pulling out.

It is noteworthy for neither of the city’s two major clubs, Real Betis and Sevilla, playing there.

Spain and Portugal are competing against a joint bid from Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Paraguay, who hope to mark the 100th anniversary of the inaugural men’s World Cup which saw hosts Uruguay defeat Argentina in the final.

Morocco have expressed an interest – although talk of the nation joining the Spain-Portugal bid did not materialise, while a joint effort from Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and Serbia was proposed in 2018.

Qatar is due to hold the 2022 World Cup, which is slated to start on November 21 and conclude on December 18.

Credit: Insidethegames