Although many players and coaches complain about the extremely congested international calendar, the establishment of another tournament – the Club World Cup – has been greeted with enthusiasm by many. And the best clubs in the world are striving to qualify for it at all costs.
One of the reasons for this is the substantial prize money. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has announced that it will distribute $1 billion among the 32 participants in the tournament.
This year’s Club World Cup will be the first time that 32 teams will participate. The tournament will be held in the United States from June 15 to July 13. In this case, the model of money distribution guarantees solid payments even to participants who will not win a single victory. Of the total prize pool, $475 million will be used to reward athletic achievements, and $525 million will be paid to teams for their participation. The winner of the championship will be able to earn up to $125 million.
The club championship will use virtually the same draw system as the World Cup for national teams. In the group stage, 32 teams are divided into eight groups of four clubs each. The top two teams from each group will advance to the 1/8 finals, and at the playoff stage each round will consist of only one match.
It is noteworthy that it was at the Club World Cup FIFA decided to try out some innovations. Thus, at the suggestion of the International Football Association Board (IFAB), a new rule has been introduced, according to which the goalkeeper can hold the ball in his hands for no longer than eight seconds. In case of a violation, a corner kick will be awarded in favor of the opponent.
In addition, during the tournament, soccer referees will wear body cameras to record the progress of the match. However, it is still unclear whether it will be used during broadcasts or during the proceedings of controversial moments for refereeing.
Another innovation concerns the introduction of an additional transfer window for clubs participating in the tournament. From June 1 to June 10, they could pre-register newcomers so that they could take part in the Club World Cup as part of their new teams.
