Chelsea are on course to receive a staggering £50 million cash boost after FIFA confirmed that the side have qualified for the first ever expanded edition of the Club World Cup.
After a meeting in Rwanda by world chiefs, they agreed on the qualification pattern for the 32-team tournament that would begin in 2025 and would most possibly go down in China.
The European continent have been given 12 slots by FIFA for the Club World Cup
Europe have been handed the largest quota with 12 positions up for grabs with Fifa’s ruling council concurring that qualification would run over the four year period from the 2020-21 to 2023-24 footballing campaign.
This implies that the four Champions League winners in those seasons, in addition to the next eight ranking sides on UEFA’s four year coefficient rankings format, will earn the chance at the money spinning new tournament.
Chelsea won the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League after defeating Manchester City in the final
The 2021 Champions League final victory over Manchester City implies they would be among the teams that will compete for the trophy alongside Real Madrid.
Both clubs would be joined by the next two winners of the UEFA Champions League and no country can have more than two representative through the coefficient table.
So therefore based on current standings, Liverpool and Manchester City would qualify. Although, if the Reds do not qualify for any European competition next season that would hand Manchester United the chance to replace them.
Manchester United would replace Liverpool if they qualify to the Knock-out rounds of the UEFA Champions League.
FIFA is also making plans at refurbishing its present little version of the Club World Cup, which will continue to hold yearly but it would be fine-tuned.
The Champions League winner would qualify directly straight to the final of the competition.
Football clubs have come to an agreement on the international match calender to be used globally.
The football chiefs also finally agreed on the “International match calender” and dates for international qualifiers that would commence in 2025.
It would contain a four-match and 16 day period for matches extending between late September till early October from 2026, rather than the present two different breaks.
Nine days hiatus, for two games will still be held in March, June and November implying that there would be 10 international matches outside of tournaments in a year.
Thomas Tuchel guided the side to the UEFA Champions League title in less than a year after he took over the job following his ouster from Paris Saint Germain.
Chelsea won their first FIFA World Club Cup title when?
Chelsea also lifted their first Club World trophy in 2022 defeating Palmeiras in the final of the competition.
The West London side are still in the UEFA Champions League after defeating Borussia Dortmund to progress to the quarter-final of the competition.
They however would face an herculean task in trying to get to the final as the likes of Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Real Madrid/Liverpool and high flying Napoli are still in the tournament.
