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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Sam Carroll

Liverpool look set for 2021 Club World Cup qualification as switch to four-year format confirmed

China have been confirmed as the hosts of the inaugural, expanded edition of the Club World Cup in 2021.

FIFA, however, have delayed a decision on how the 24 places for the tournament will be distributed according to Associated Press .

Europe will be the best represented continent at the tournament with eight slots despite rejecting four additional places.

All Champions League and Europa League winners between 2018 and 2021 are set to qualify meaning Liverpool's place in China is secure although it could depend on UEFA determining the maximum number of slots per country.

Arsenal's Fabinho interest confirmed and how Nicolas Pepe is hoping to emulate Liverpool maestro HERE

Associated Press believe teams could qualify for the 2021 edition without having to win a regional competition and even at the expense of some champions while caps on the number of representatives from a single country in the new format raises the prospect of even winners of continental competitions missing out.

With China to host the expanded version of the Club World Cup despite concerns over their human rights policies, FIFA president Gianni Infantino was forced to speak on the issue.

“I think that we need to reflect on our role,” he said. “Countries all over the world are going through difficult times.

"It is not the mission of FIFA to solve the problems of the world. The mission is to organize football in all of the countries. We do that by bringing football to the people, not by criticizing.”

The Club World Cup is now due to be staged every four years under the new format, replacing the current annual edition that features the six champions of continental competitions and the host nation’s domestic champion.

The final two editions of the seven-team annual Club World Cup are being staged in Qatar during December 2019 and December 2020.

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