Soccer overdose: 2021, the year of two FIFA Club World Cups

Yes, 2021 will be atypical, even more than 2020 as regards the soccer schedule, although for totally opposite reasons. Last year due to the absence of important tournaments due to the Covid19 pandemic and the 2021 because it will have – if there is no other major event – an extremely full agenda on its calendar .

As is already known, in 2021 there will be, in addition to the traditional league tournaments and other international ones such as the Champions League, Copa Libertadores or World Cup qualifiers, the Eurocup, Copa America, Olympics and, above all, something unprecedented, two editions of the FIFA Club's World Cup, the one corresponding to 2020 and this year , which, incidentally, cannot be played under the new format that FIFA had stipulated.

Club's World Cup, Qatar 2021

The pandemic also affected the clubs international tournament, which was not held in December 2020 as had been booked since 2007 and was rescheduled for February of this year to also give a chance to decide the Conmebol champion in the Copa Libertadores (the next January 23), the remaining quota to complete the number of participants.

The competitors will be the same for what is supposed to be the last edition of the Club World Cup with UEFA (Europe), Conmebol (South America), Concacaf (North America, Central America and the Caribbean), AFC (Asia), OFC (Oceania) and CAF (Africa) chapions, along with the local league winner, in this case the best team in the Qatar League.

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The date that was agreed was 1st and 11th of February with the participation of the German favorite Bayern Munich (UEFA), who will seek to equal the "sextete" that Barcelona reached in 2009 if they are win this tournament, plus Ulsan Hyundai (Asia) , Auckland City (Oceania) that did not win the tournament on its continent but was chosen by the committee of that confederation to represent them.

There are also the UANL Tigers of Mexico (Concacaf), Al-Ahly (Africa) and Al-Duhail (the local champion) .

This Club World Cup will no longer be the last to be played with the known format since 2007, because at the end of the year a similar one will be played in Japan. What happened? .

Club World Cup Japan 2021

The pandemic also suspends the format with 24 teams and six groups of the new Club World Cup for 2022 , as announced by Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, who seeks with the new competition to attract greater interest from sponsors and fans.

FIFA agreed to delay this new Club World Cup, initially scheduled for mid-2021 , so that both the Euro and the Copa América can be held without further commitments on the same date, and after both tournaments were postponed in 2020 .

With this explained, the FIFA Council decided to maintain the current format of seven teams for the 2021 edition, to be held in December in Japan. Infantino reiterated his support for the expanded project, assuring that it will be "the best club competition in the world", another warning for the UEFA Champions League, which already sees elite clubs wanting to form a more attractive parallel league.

Thus, in this 2021 we will enjoy two Club World Cups , one that closes a cycle, and another, that will open a new one even if it is played with the same format. Qatar in February and Japan in December , something unprecedented in the history of this tournament, which replaced the remembered and still preferred by many, the Intercontinental Cup.

Qatar 2021 calendar

February 1st:

Al-Duhail vs Auckland City (Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium)

February 4:

Quarter finals:

Team A vs Team B (Khalifa International)

Team C vs Team D

February 7th:

Match for fifth place:

(City of Education)

Semifinal:

Champion of the Libertadores vs. Quarterfinal winner (Khalifa International)

February 8th:

Semifinal:

Bayern Munich vs Quarterfinal Winner (Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium)

February 11th:

Dispute for third place (City of Education)

End: (City of Education)