FIFA has not let anything stand in the way of the Club World Cup, which will be organized for the first time next year in a new format with 32 teams. The tournament lasts a month and takes place between June 14 and July 14, between seasons.
With promises of big payouts for the 12 European clubs involved, FIFA will organize a draw to determine the groups on Thursday evening. The format will be the same as the World Cup, with eight groups of four and a knockout phase with sixteen teams. According to Marca, FIFA will also open a new transfer window as a result.
The football governing body will allow teams to make transfers between June 1 and June 10, to encourage clubs to strengthen for the competition, and also give them legal cover. A third transfer window would allow players to move before the tournament, because as a side effect of the tournament, clubs can unilaterally extend their players' contracts until the end of the tournament. Most contracts in Europe end on June 30, while the summer transfer window starts on July 1.
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