What's new at the Club World Cup this summer?

Ex-Fifa president Sepp Blatter once branded the tournament a “mistake”, but this summer we are set to experience the new and improved Fifa Club World Cup.

Taking place from 15th June to 13th July, this new iteration of the Club World Cup will take place in the United States, featuring 32 teams. Twelve of those will represent Uefa, with AFC, CAF and Concacaf getting four spots each. Conmebol has six spots, with one given to Oceania.

The last spot is taken by Inter Miami who are the host nation qualification team, which will see Lionel Messi compete in the first of this new iteration of the Club World Cup — now a quadrennial competition.

But what other changes have been made going into the tournament and how could it affect things for those involved?

Corners for time-wasting

One of the new Law changes that is being trialled by Fifa at the Club World Cup in order to cut down on time-wasting is goalkeepers being penalised for holding the ball for more than eight seconds.

The current Law states that a goalkeeper can only control the ball with their hands for a maximum of six seconds before releasing it. If the goalkeeper holds onto the ball for longer, they are supposed to be penalised with an indirect free-kick. But that was hardly ever put into practice.

Now, the goalkeeper will be given eight seconds before they have to release the ball. But if they breach that time, a corner will be awarded to the opposition. The hope is that a less severe punishment will encourage referees to uphold the Law, which will then see goalkeepers holding onto the ball less.

The referee will use a visual countdown for the final five seconds of the eight seconds goalkeepers are allowed to hold onto the ball before they must release it.

Body-cams

In the same Fjfa statement, they announced that referees will wear body-cams on a trial basis for the tournament, after tests were approved by the International Football Association Board (Ifab). Fifa believe this will give viewers a new experience when watching from the comfort of their homes, offering alternative “angles of vision” and new images from a different perspective.

The aim is for this to also have an effect with how referees can be coached in the future, being able to see what they see in the moment of the decision, allowing for better analysis of the situation after the incident.

Referee body-cams will offer a new experience for the viewers while also impacting the quality of refereeing in the future, which could see this become a common feature in the game if it proves successful at the Club World Cup.

New transfer window dates

Due to the timing of the tournament many have expressed their worries about the 2025-26 season. Competing clubs will be strapped for time, returning for pre-season shortly after concluding the Club World Cup, which could also have an effect on transfer business.

Therefore, the Premier League have confirmed “split transfer windows” due to the Club World Cup this summer, with the window opening on Sunday 1st June until Tuesday 10th June before closing for six days.

On Monday 16th June, the window will reopen, running until Monday 1st September. This had to be done due to the Premier League only being allowed 12 weeks of a summer window, hence the five day closure in between.

IFA has allowed players signed between the 1st-10th first window to be registered for the Club World Cup, with a second chance to register players from June 27th – July 3rd ready for the knockout stage.

This leaves the option open for a club to sign Cristiano Ronaldo on a short-term deal, allowing him to compete in the Club World Cup where Lionel Messi will also be competing, which could be a brilliant spectacle for the competition itself.

Premier League clubs will also be allowed to sign players whose contracts are set to expire during the tournament on short-term deals specifically covering the competition.