How di new format of Club World Cup go work & why e dey so controversial?

Di new expanded Fifa Club World Cup go take place for United States from 15 June to 13 July 2025.

Bifor dem change di format, na annual tournament wey di top seven teams dey compete, di Club World Cup now go feature 32 teams and hold once evri four years.

Na dis tournament wey ex-Fifa president Sepp Blatter bin once brand a "mistake", now e dey undergo changes wey dey as significant as e dey controversial.

How teams qualify?

Teams from each of di six international football confederations go dey di Club World Cup: Asia (AFC), Africa (Caf), North and Central America (Concacaf), South America (Conmebol), Oceania (OFC) and Europe (Uefa).

12 places dey available for European clubs - di highest quota of di confederations. Dis places dem decide am by clubs Champions League performances ova di past four seasons.

E mean say recent winners Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid all don qualify.

Oda European teams wey qualify through di Uefa ranking system wey bin dey based on clubs performances ova di four seasons. Only two clubs per kontri fit qualify, so 2022 Champions League finalists Liverpool no dey included.

Na four club places each for Asia, Africa and also di North and Central America federation.

Six places for di South American clubs, and one to Oceania.

Clubs get dia points ova di most recent four seasons, based on dia performances for dia continental club competitions.

Dem don confam all di qualifying teams, di last team dem confam na Botafogo, dem beat fellow Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro for last week final of di South American Copa Libertadores.

Which clubs dey take part and who dey seeded?

Pot 1: Manchester City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Paris St-Germain, Flamengo, Palmeiras, River Plate, Fluminense

Pot 2: Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan, Porto, Atletico Madrid, Benfica, Juventus, Salzburg

Pot 3: Al Hilal, Ulsan, Al Ahly, Wydad, Monterrey, Club Leon, Boca Juniors, Botafogo

Pot 4: Urawa Red Diamonds, Al Ain, Esperance Sportive de Tunisie, Mamelodi Sundowns, Pachuca, Seattle Sounders, Auckland City, Inter Miami

Why Lionel Messi dey involved?

One spot for di tournament dem reserve am for a team from di host nation.

Fifa choose to award dat place to Inter Miami for winning di 2024 MLS Supporters' Shield, di trophy wey dem dey give out to di team wey get di best regular-season record. Di Floridians lose for MLS play-offs, e mean say dem no be dis season champions.

Di decision to invite Inter Miami to di Club World Cup bifor di MLS campaign many see am as attempt on Fifa part to ensure Lionel Messi, wey join di team for 2023, go play for tournament wey don attract little public enthusiasm so far.

Wen be di draw?

Di draw for di new look Club World Cup go take place at 18:00 GMT on Thursday, 5 December.

Follow us for more info on dis tori.

How dis format go work?

Di new model of di Club World Cup go run in a similar way to di international men and women World Cup competitions.

Di 32 teams go dey divided into eight groups of four, wey go play each oda once for a round-robin format. Di top two teams from each group go den qualify for di knockout stages.

Unlike di international World Cups, di Club World Cup no get third-place play-off.

Di final go take place on 13 July 2025.

Wia dem go play di matches ?

All matches go take place for United States, one year bifor di kontri go co-host di 2026 World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico.

Di fixtures go hold for 12 different stadiums.

Di opening match go happun for Miami, and di final dey scheduled for New Jersey.

Why di new Club World Cup dey controversial?

Fifa dey currently face legal action from player unions and leagues about di scheduling of di tournament.

Global players union Fifpro and di top European Leagues say di international football calendar dey "oversaturated" and e dey "risks player safety and wellbeing".

Several players - including Liverpool Alisson Becker and Manchester City Rodri - don raise concerns about player wellbeing sake of di increasingly jam-packed football calendar.

Na just five weeks dey between di Club World Cup final and di first Premier League match of di 2025-2026 season, wey dey scheduled for 16 August.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola don already request for a late start to di Premier League season for im team, while City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne tell reporters say: "Di issue na say Uefa and Fifa dey continue to add extra matches, and we fit raise concern hia but no solutions dey. E dey like say money loud pass di players voices."

One Fifa tok-tok pesin tell BBC Sport say: "Di Fifa Club World Cup no dey responsible for calendar congestion. Na competitive tournament wey dey take place once evri four years and, as independent studies don verify, Fifa dey only responsible for a small percentage of matches per season.

"Fifa care about di welfare of di players. Following up wit di decision wey dem take earlier dis year, Fifa dey formalise di Task Force on Player Welfare, headed by Arsene Wenger, to promote further global dialogue on player welfare issues wit key stakeholders across football."