FIFA have approved plans for an expanded Club World Cup - which is a tournament Newcastle United could be eligible for in the years to come if the club's owners realise their long-term ambitions.
Like the international World Cup, the new-look competition will see 32 teams split into eight groups of four before a knockout stage then whittles down the 16 teams who progress. The tournament, which will be held every four years, from June, 2025, will have a dozen representatives from Europe; six from South America; four each from Asia, Africa and North America; and one from Oceania. The final place will go to the host nation.
The European representatives will be made up of the four most recent Champions League winners and the eight highest ranked teams in UEFA's coefficient rankings. There is a limit of two places per country, but up to four including the Champions League winners
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Chelsea (2021) and Real Madrid (2022) have already booked their places - both clubs are in line to bank at least £25m just for taking part - and the winners of the Champions League in 2023 and 2024 will follow. The next eight UEFA representatives will be based on coefficient rankings so, for example, if the tournament was held tomorrow, Man City and Liverpool would join Chelsea as the Premier League's representatives as it stands.
Having not played in Europe since 2013, Newcastle are obviously not ranked in the current UEFA coefficient list, which is based on the results of clubs competing in the five previous seasons of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League. However, even if the 2025 tournament comes too soon, this is a competition Newcastle could qualify for in the years to come if the black-and-whites not only play in Europe but, also, compete for trophies on the continent as the owners hope to do in the long run.
“We will win the Carabao Cup," part-owner Amanda Staveley told talkSPORT last month. "We will win the FA Cup. We will win the Champions League. We will win the Premier League.
“This is all about the amazing fans that have taken us on this journey. We are honoured and humbled and feel very privileged to help run Newcastle United.”
However, it is worth noting that FIFA's revamp will only increase the load on the players, who are already being pushed to their limits, with the international World Cup also being expanded with 40 more games from 2026. The World Leagues Forum (WLF), who count the Premier League among its members, said that FIFA did not consult with the organisation or any of its member leagues about the Club World Cup, which 'fails to consider the impact on domestic league competitiveness and player welfare'.
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