news Europe’s elite clubs deal blow to FIFA as they reject proposal to launch new Club World Cup in 2025

EXCLUSIVE: Europe's elite clubs deal major blow to FIFA as they REJECT proposal to launch new 32-team Club World Cup in the USA in 2025, with governing body running out of time to

find solutionFIFA have been seeking approval to stage a 32-team competition in the USEurope's biggest clubs have rejected the proposal for the summer of 2025 FIFA refused to sign

Memorandum of Understanding in retributive act Clubs could theoretically refuse to release players to play for their countries The goal for FIFA FIFA is to hold an expanded Club

World Cup every four yearsBy Matt Hughes For The Daily Mail Published: 5:32 PM EST, 12 December 2022 | Updated: 18:24 EST, 12 December 2022 Europe's biggest clubs have rejected a

proposal from FIFA to launch a new Club World Cup in the summer of 2025 in a major blow to the world governing body. Sportsmail has learned that FIFA have been seeking approval to

stage a 32-team competition in the United States during negotiations that have taken place in Qatar over the last few weeks, but the clubs are refusing to endorse the

proposals.FIFA had been hoping to get the deal done at a meeting of the European Clubs Association, which represents the interests of the 220 leading European clubs, in Doha last

Friday, but president Gianni Infantino pulled out at the last minute when it became clear his project would not be signed off. Gianni Infantino wants to expand the Club World Cup

but the proposal has fallen flat In what was interpreted as an act of retribution FIFA then refused to sign a Memorandum of Understanding [MoU] with the ECA despite the fact that

the current agreement expires on December 31. The MoU is an agreement between FIFA and the clubs covering the international match calendar, player release dates and compensation

paid to the clubs. If a new deal is not signed in the interim clubs could theoretically refuse to release players to play for their countries during the next international break in

March.FIFA have been seeking to relaunch the Club World Cup for several years and a 24-team competition was planned to take place in China last year, only for it to be canceled due

to the pandemic. UEFA are opposed to a concept they see as a threat to the primacy of the Champions League, although the clubs could be persuaded if it is sufficiently lucrative

amid rumors of FIFA offering £150million in prize money. FIFA are running out of time if they are to get the world's biggest clubs to agree The ECA want the international calendar

agreed before committing the clubs to any more competitions however, but intensive talks in Qatar have failed to produce a breakthrough. FIFA are running out of time if they want