In 2025, the USA will host FIFA’s revamped Club World Cup with an increased number of teams. FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced that the event will expand to 32 teams.



There will be 12 European teams participating. That includes the UEFA Champions League winners from 2021-24 (<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/chelsea-tv-schedule/">Chelsea</a>, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/real-madrid-tv-schedule/">Real Madrid</a>, and <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/the-history-of-manchester-united-vs-manchester-city-gary-james-interview-video-20130406-CMS-52551.html">Manchester City</a>). Using the same criteria over the same four-year period, the remaining European clubs will be selected.



Six teams from South America, including the Copa Libertadores champions from 2021-2024, are part of the remaining 20 spots. Additionally, four representatives from the Confederation of North, Central American, and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) will be present.



The top-ranked club from Oceania’s Champions League winners in the years 2021–24 also qualifies. Finally, a team from the host country’s team and four more teams from Africa and Asia complete the squads.



<h2>Tebas slams FIFA after Club World Cup expansion</h2>



The president of <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/la-liga-tv-schedule/">La Liga</a>, Javier Tebas, has been critical of the new structure in his recent interview. The financial stability of European teams would suffer. Moreover, the schedule will yield intolerable strain, he claims.



In response to FIFA’s plan to enlarge the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/club-world-cup-tv-schedule-streaming-links/">Club World Cup</a>, Tebas informed <a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/news/12040/12923661/future-of-football-javier-tebas-exclusive-interview-laliga-president-shares-concerns-over-tournament-expansions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sky</a> about opposition to the expansion. And he said he’s going to go to court to stop FIFA from expanding their tournaments.



“For FIFA it is only related to power. The Club World Cup – 85 percent of the money they are getting in, they are going to distribute to the clubs, there is only going to be 15 percent for the confederations and the organizers. So I don’t think it’s all about money necessarily, because FIFA deal with huge amounts of money



“I think it’s more a power issue. [Gianni] Infantino has long wanted this Club World Cup to compete with the Champions League, and so there’s a difference in power between FIFA and UEFA because of that.”



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">🗣 "I think it&apos;s more a power issue. Infantino has long wanted this Club World Cup to compete really with the Champions League." La Liga president, Javier Tebas has accused FIFA president, Gianni Infantino of a power grab <a href="https://t.co/vBCrZOuoHS">pic.twitter.com/vBCrZOuoHS</a>— Football Daily (@footballdaily) <a href="https://twitter.com/footballdaily/status/1689255277151846401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<h5>La Liga president could even take matters to court</h5>



FIFA, according to the La Liga president, is only interested in expanding. The two governing bodies want to capitalize on the prestige of the top clubs. He claims it doesn’t help soccer as a whole in any way.



“I think the key issue behind this is: we are managing the world football calendar for 300 elite players and 20 elite clubs. And we just can’t do that. We have over 1,500 professional clubs and over 40,000 professional players, and we are just thinking about the elite, and not thinking about all those other professional footballers.



“What really worries us is that there is going to be a much bigger difference in the money received by bigger clubs compared with other clubs in those domestic leagues. They [FIFA] have to think about all the different effects, and maybe they should realize they shouldn’t be doing this competition.”



To the question, “Can La Liga take FIFA to court?” Tebas said, “Well, it’s not that we can, it’s what we are going to do! “In the World Leagues Forum, they’re now carrying out a study on possible claims. And we are very clear on this – if it is not going to be led by the World Leagues Forum, La Liga is going to take them [FIFA] to court.



“We are not going to wait for decisions from elsewhere. We are very clear that this is going to cause a lot of damage to the national leagues, and if we have to go to court by ourselves, we will do so, and that is it.”



PHOTO: IMAGO &amp; NurPhoto

USA’s Club World Cup is a power play by FIFA against UEFA

In his latest tirade against FIFA, La Liga president Javier Tebas has criticized the format changes made to the Club World Cup in the USA.

USA's Club World Cup is a power play by FIFA against UEFA

It’s time for another edition of the World Soccer Talk Reader Mailbag. This week, we tackle US Open Cup coverage, the Premier League Fan Fest, CONCACAF, Serie A and the FIFA Club World Cup. Don’t forget to add any new questions you might have in the comments below, and we’ll do our best to answer those next week. The questions don’t have to be about streaming. Remember, they can be about soccer too.



Dave: A few US Open Cup questions: 1) Have Turner announced coverage plans and/or outsourced rights to someone else? 2) Which rounds historically are the most entertaining, with a good mix of minnows and big names (like Third/Fourth round proper of FA Cup)? I remember last year having several very fun weeks



World Soccer Talk:&nbsp;1) There has been no additional news about the US Open Cup TV coverage since <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/us-open-cup-media-deal-20220216-CMS-371017.html">our story discussed the deal</a> almost twelve months ago. Once we get closer to the First Round in late March, we expect to have more details about the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/2022/02/15/cindy-parlow-cone-talks-us-soccer-media-rights/">media rights</a>.



2) The round when MLS teams start to enter (this year is the third round, April 25-26) where they will potentially face off against lower division professional or even amateur teams is always a lot of fun. Everyone loves a good underdog story and some giant-killing moments. We’re hoping for another Sacramento-type run this year, just like last year when they <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/2022/09/07/orlando-city-wins-us-open-cup/">reached the US Open Cup final</a>.



Dave, thanks for your questions. It’ll certainly be fascinating to see how Warner Bros-Discovery broadcasts the US Open Cup given that last year’s coverage on <a href="https://go.web.plus.espn.com/mWebq" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESPN+</a> was one of the best in recent memory.



Bill: Just wondering if you guys went to Fan Fest in Orlando this past weekend and if not, why not (just being nosey)? I know Fan Fest is a very American sports flashy thing and not the seriousness respect of the sport y’all prefer but it looks fun to be there.



World Soccer Talk:&nbsp;We were there. Kartik Krishnaiyer and I arrived on Thursday evening to prepare for our early morning interviews with the talent from NBC Sports on Friday. We interviewed <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tv/rebecca-lowe-reflects-on-10-years-of-premier-league-on-nbc-20230123-WST-416491.html">Rebecca Lowe</a>, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tv/tim-howard-on-his-role-as-the-american-voice-of-premier-league-coverage-20230124-WST-416503.html">Tim Howard</a> and The 2 Robbies. Then on Saturday, I interviewed Alan Shearer, Gary Cahill and NBC Sports executives, so keep an eye out for those interviews later in theweek on this website.



Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend there. For me personally, my favorite part was talking to the soccer fans who traveled from across the country to attend the Fan Fest in Orlando. I also loved seeing all of the different shirts that the American soccer fans wore, which was an eclectic mixture of clubs, to say the least.



If you’re reading this and you’ve never attended any of the Fan Fests, I highly recommend you go to the next one. It was so much fun.



Francisco: For next season, is there going to be any streaming service or channel that is going to pick up the rights to broadcast Italian Serie A in Spanish?



World Soccer Talk:&nbsp;<a href="https://paramountplus.qflm.net/c/330866/1007330/3065" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Paramount+</a> continues to have the rights to <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/serie-a-tv-schedule/">Serie A</a> in all languages, but so far the streaming service has been reluctant to offer Spanish-language commentary to the games.



Honestly, though, the cost of providing Spanish-language commentary for Serie A matches may be cost prohibitive. I don’t believe there’s enough demand from Spanish-language viewers to make it worthwhile. 



Francisco, I know that other fans of Serie A have asked for Spanish-language commentary too. My advice would be to try to round up more fans on social media, and ask them to <a href="https://help.paramountplus.com/s/contact-us" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">let Paramount+ know</a> that you want games in Spanish.



Jason: What CONCACAF based competitions are on Paramount+ in 2023?



World Soccer Talk:&nbsp;Looking ahead to 2023, <a href="https://paramountplus.qflm.net/c/330866/1007330/3065" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Paramount+</a> has the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/concacaf-nations-league-schedule/">Concacaf Nations League</a>, which returns at the end of March.



Jason: What streaming service has the FIFA Club World Cup in February?



World Soccer Talk:&nbsp;Great question, Jason. As you probably know, FOX Sports and Telemundo have the television rights to the competition. While FOX Sports still do not have a direct-to-consumer streaming service (other than Tubi, which showed games on demand at the World Cup), your best bet is to watch all of the games in Spanish via <a href="https://imp.i305175.net/c/330866/1313913/11640" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Peacock Premium</a> for $4.99 per month (which also includes 180 Premier League games per season as well as USMNT and USWNT games).



Presumably FOX Sports will show games via their FOX Sports app.



That’s all for this week. Don’t forget to ask your questions in the comments below, and we’ll answer in the Reader Mailbag next Tuesday

Reader Mailbag: Answering your soccer questions

The World Soccer Talk Reader Mailbag answers your questions about TV and streaming coverage, and soccer in general, every week.

Reader Mailbag: Answering your soccer questions - World Soccer Talk

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The matchups for the upcoming <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/club-world-cup-tv-schedule-streaming-links/">FIFA Club World Cup</a> are now officially set after a draw for the competition was completed early Friday in Morocco. Seven total teams will enter the tournament to be played from February 1st through the 11th.



Wydad (CAF), Auckland City (OFC), Seattle Sounders (CONCACAF), Flamengo (CONMEBOL), and <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/real-madrid-tv-schedule/">Real Madrid</a> (UEFA) all qualified for the Club World Cup for winning their respective confederations. Al Ahly earned access to the competition to the tournament as host (despite being an Egyptian team). They were previously runners-up in the CAF Champions League Final in 2022.



Al Hilal is also competing in this year’s Club World Cup because they won the AFC Champions League tournament in 2021. The 2022 competition is still in the knockout phases. It will not end until later in this year. 



American fans will notice Seattle Sounders appearing in the competition. This is the first time an MLS team is competing in the Club World Cup.



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<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">The countdown to the Club World Cup is on 😈 <a href="https://t.co/ChCJG0CZWn">pic.twitter.com/ChCJG0CZWn</a>— Seattle Sounders FC (@SoundersFC) <a href="https://twitter.com/SoundersFC/status/1612222313948409856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<h2>FIFA Club World Cup draw results</h2>



DRAW



First Round



Al Ahly SC vs. Auckland, February 1



Second Round



Seattle Sounders vs. Al Ahly SC or Auckland, February 4 Wydad AC vs. Al Hilal SFC, February 4



Semi-final



Flamengo vs. Wydad AC or Al Hilal SFC, February 7 Seattle Sounders or Al Ahly or Auckland vs. Real Madrid, February 8



Third-place final



Losers of semi-final 1 vs. semi-final 2, February 11



Final



Winners of semi-final 1 vs. semi-final 2, February 11



Television broadcasts of the games will be shown across FOX Sports and Telemundo Deportes in the United States. As soon as we get more details, check out the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/club-world-cup-tv-schedule-streaming-links/">Club World Cup TV schedule</a>.



<h5>Format for tournament is a bit uncommon</h5>



With an odd number of teams, the competition’s format is a bit unusual. Al Ahly will face Auckland City on February 1st in the first round of the competition. It will be the only match of the opening round of the tournament. Three remaining clubs will begin play in the second round of the competition. This is a bit similar to the March Madness bracket of college basketball here Stateside. 



As winners of the two toughest confederations, Flamengo and Real Madrid will enter the tournament in the semifinal stage. Although Flamengo has never won the Club World Cup, Brazilian teams have collected the trophy four times since the competition began in 2000. Real Madrid has won this tournament four times during a five-year stretch between 2014 and 2018. UEFA teams have triumphed in each of the last nine Club World Cups.



FIFA has already <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/premier-league-should-boycott-club-world-cup-says-carragher-20221216-WST-412499.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced plans to expand</a> the competition to 32 teams in 2025.



PHOTO: IMAGO / Sven Simon

FIFA Club World Cup Draw out; Seattle could face Real Madrid

The FIFA Club World Cup draw has been released. The tournament will take place in Morocco from February 1st through the 11th.

FIFA Club World Cup Draw out; Seattle could face Real Madrid - World Soccer Talk

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<div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2441" src="/files/2009/12/La-Liga-Trophy.jpg" alt="La Liga Trophy" width="375" height="500"></figure></div>
The two late Saturday matches headline Round 14 of La Liga with the 150th edition of El Derbi Barceloní between local rivals FC Barcelona and Espanyol and a top-three clash with 3rd place Valencia hosting 2nd place Real Madrid.&nbsp; Two other intriguing matches include high-flying Mallorca hoping to take their stellar home form and infuse it into their mediocre away record against Osasuna in Pamplona and El Derbi Decepción (The Disappointment Derby) between perennial high finishers Atlético Madrid and Villarreal.&nbsp; Currently Atleti is 13th and Villarreal is 11th, but both have had a string of decent results in the past few weeks and will look to continue their good play against each other.
The times listed are Eastern Standard Time (EST) and include the pregame pleasantries, although sometimes the matches on the DIRECTV La Liga specific channels may not go to match coverage until right before kickoff.
Dec. 12
Real Zaragoza vs. Athletic Bilbao – 11:55 AM on GOL TV
Barcelona vs. Espanyol – 1:55 PM on GOL TV
Valencia vs. Real Madrid – 3:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360
Dec. 13
Osasuna vs. Mallorca – 10:45 AM on DirecTV channel 456
Getafe vs. Tenerife – 10:45 AM on DirecTV channel 457
Real Valladolid vs. Málaga – 10:45 AM on DirecTV channel 458
Almería vs. Deportivo La Coruña – 10:55 AM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360
Atlético Madrid vs. Villarreal – 12:55 PM on GOL TV
Sporting Gijón vs. Sevilla – 2:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360
Unfortunately, the Racing Santander – Xerez match will not be shown on US TV.
UEFA Europa League
Also in the midweek, the last round of matches in the UEFA Europa League group stage commences with two of the three Spanish teams already securing their places in the Round of 32 knockout stage.&nbsp; Villarreal will finish second in their group with Red Bull Salzburg as the top team, and Athletic Bilbao will face group leaders Werder Bremen with a chance to top their group.&nbsp; Athletic would either have to beat Bremen by three goals or defeat Bremen by two goals and concede one or less away goals to finish first in the group, but knowing that their passage to the next round is secure should relax the Basques.&nbsp; Valencia’s future is not fully settled, but as long as they do not lose to Genoa at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, they will head into the Round of 32 as the winner of Group B.&nbsp; The only way Valencia does not advance to the next stage is if they lose to Genoa and Lille defeat Slavia Prague.
Athletic Bilbao vs. Werder Bremen – Wednesday, December 16 at 3:00 PM on GOL TV
Genoa vs. Valencia – Thursday, December 17 at 12:55 PM on GOL TV
Villarreal vs. Red Bull Salzburg – Thursday, December 17 at 3:00 on DirecTV channel 462 (462-1 for HD)
FIFA Club World Cup
FC Barcelona will travel to the United Arab Emirates next week for the FIFA Club World Cup, and Pep Guardiola will look to continue his undefeated record in all competitions entered since he became manager of Barcelona in the summer of 2008.&nbsp; Pedro Rodríguez will hope to score in the Club World Cup to extend his record of scoring in six different competitions in one season.&nbsp; He has already scored in the UEFA Super Cup, the Supercopa de España, La Liga, Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League.
FC Barcelona vs. the Auckland City/Atlante winner – Wednesday, December 16 at 11:00 AM on Fox Soccer Channel

La Liga US TV Listings for Jornada 14: Dec. 12 and Dec. 13

La Liga US TV Listings for Jornada 14: Dec. 12 and Dec. 13 - World Soccer Talk

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Getting up at five o’clock this morning to watch a game on TV live from Japan reminded me of World Cup 2002. But this time, instead of watching England lose against Brazil in Japan, it was the turn of the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup featuring Manchester United against Gamba Osaka from Yokohama.
From the first few minutes, it was apparent that this was going to be a very open game, but who would have expected eight goals in a 5-3 win by Manchester United? While Manchester United’s first two goals were scored from headers by Nemanja Vidic and Cristiano Ronaldo, both connecting from corner kicks, the turning point in the game was when Wayne Rooney entered the game as a substitute for Carlos Tevez when the score was 2-0 to Manchester United.
Incredibly, the game came alive and five goals were scored within five minutes. Rooney scored within one minute with his first touch of the ball, and netted a goal later in the match. Darren Fletcher also scored just a few minutes after Rooney’s first goal.
The TV coverage and commentary from Fox Soccer Channel was well done with Max Bretos and Christopher Sullivan in fine form. While Max can be too over excited at times, Sullivan continues to impart golden nuggets of tactical insight throughout matches which I always appreciate.
Manchester United now plays Liga de Quito (from Ecuador) in the final on Sunday, December 21st with the kick-off at 5:30am ET on Fox Soccer Channel.

Man United Advance to Club World Cup Final After 5-3 Win In Japan

Man United Advance to Club World Cup Final After 5-3 Win In Japan - World Soccer Talk

<div><figure class="external-image"><img src="/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/genescolari.jpg" alt="genescolari.jpg"></figure></div>
Champions League football returns today with both Chelsea and Liverpool in action. Chelsea is at home versus Cluj in a <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1092851/Chelsea-boss-Scolari-shows-strain-admits-I-sleep-wife-lose.html" target="_blank">must-win game for Gene Hackman</a>, I mean Luiz Felipe Scolari, (ESPN2 and ESPN360, 2:30pm ET) while PSV takes on Liverpool in a <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/dec/09/liverpool-robbie-keane-rafael-benitez" target="_blank">must-score game for Robbie Keane</a> (Setanta Sports, 2:30pm ET).
In the meantime, here are several articles from around the soccer blogosphere that I think you’ll enjoy:
<ul>
<li>“<a href="http://www.football365.com/john_nicholson/0,17033,8746_4548363,00.html" target="_blank">Ooh To Be A Soccer Fan In The US</a>“: Excellent article by EPL Talk fan favorite John Nicholson while on an expedition to California (Football 365),</li>
<li>“<a href="http://deadspin.com/5098814/exploring-the-espn-business-model-hint-it-involves-swimming-in-piles-of-cash" target="_blank">Exploring The ESPN Business Model</a>” and why Fox Soccer Channel and soccer fans used to watching Premier League football on Fox need to be worried (Deadspin).</li>
<li>“Are The English Sides Once Again The Teams To Avoid In The Next Round Of The Champions League?” (Champions League Talk)</li>
<li>“2008 FIFA Club World Cup Preview Part I” and “2008 FIFA Club World Cup Preview Part II” (World Cup Buzz)</li>
<li>“<a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-671-Soccer-Examiner~y2008m12d8-Bobby-McMahon-on-the-EPL-matchfixing-and-the-modern-game" target="_blank">Interview With Bobby McMahon On The EPL, Match Fixing and The Modern Game</a>” (Soccer Examiner)</li>
</ul>

Soccer News From The Blogosphere

Soccer News From The Blogosphere - World Soccer Talk

<div><figure class="external-image"><img src="/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/fox-soccer-channel.jpg" alt="fox-soccer-channel.jpg" align="right" vspace="15" hspace="15"></figure></div>Fox Soccer Channel has announced that Manchester United’s FIFA Club World Cup 2008 games will be shown live on its network in the United States.
The first game involving Man United will be shown on Thursday, December 18 at 5:30am ET when United will play one of the following opponents: LDU Quito (Ecuador), Gamba Osaka (Japan), Al Ahly (Egypt), Pachuca (Mexico), Waitakere United (New Zealand) or Adelaide United (Australia).
If Manchester United wins that game, they’ll play in the final on Sunday, December 21st, which will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel at 2:30am ET.
No English team has ever won the world club championship. The Club World Cup is an annual tournament that brings together the reigning champions of FIFA’s six major continental competitions, all vying to become the world’s best club team of 2008.
Manchester United came close to winning the tournament in 2000 when they traveled to Brazil in controversial circumstances (they were allowed to skip the FA Cup that season). They drew against Necaxa 1-1, lost to Vasco da Gama 3-1 and then beat South Melbourne 2-0. Unfortunately United missed out on qualifying for the third place match on goal difference.
Fox Soccer Channel’s coverage of the FIFA Club World Cup 2008 presented by Toyota commences on Wednesday, Dec. 11 with the opening playoff match and continues with both quarterfinal matches, both semifinal matches, the third and fifth place match along with the final, taking place at International Stadium Yokohama on Sunday, Dec. 21 at 5 a.m. ET.

Manchester United&#039;s FIFA Club World Cup Games on U.S. TV

Manchester United&#039;s FIFA Club World Cup Games on U.S. TV - World Soccer Talk

Manchester United's FIFA Club World Cup Games on U.S. TV

Latest news from FIFA Club World Cup. Find out about all the news related to FIFA Club World Cup on worldsoccertalk.com

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