FIFA President Gianni Infantino has revealed that world football’s governing body has had nine offers to buy the commercial rights to the Club World Cup ©FIFA

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has revealed that world football’s governing body has had nine offers to buy the commercial rights to the Club World Cup, which he is hoping to make the "best club tournament in the world".

Infantino was in Doha on Saturday (December 21) for the final of this year’s Club World Cup, which saw English Premier League club Liverpool beat Brazil's Flamengo 1-0 after extra-time.

It was the penultimate edition of the event in its current guise, with Qatar using it to hone its preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The tournament will return to the country next year prior to an expanded 24-team tournament starting in 2021, with China having already been awarded hosting rights.

"The fact is that football is changing: until 50 years ago, it was strictly national; then came the continental component, which only grew stronger; now clubs are global forces, with interests around the world," Infantino said.

"Today, we have 10 or 12 clubs from five European countries that are at a certain level, and the rest of the whole world is far, far behind.

"My vision is that we should have, say, 50 clubs from all continents that are more or less at the same level; that people from all continents can truly relate to the way they do to these few European clubs today.

"If we want to develop football around the whole world – and this is FIFA’s mission - we must think about this.

"What is the best way to implement it? 

"This is what we need to discuss.

"The new Club World Cup is certainly a new platform for that, and we are already seeing signs of an enormous interest in it.

"FIFA has put out a request for proposal for companies wishing to work with us on the new tournament: 16 companies expressed interest and we received nine proposals, which we are now assessing. 

"These are businesses interested in being partners of what will be the best club tournament in the world – a tournament entirely owned by FIFA, including intellectual properties."

Gianni Infantino presented Liverpool with the Club World Cup on Saturday ©Getty Images
Gianni Infantino presented Liverpool with the Club World Cup on Saturday ©Getty Images

FIFA is confident teams from Europe will take part in the Club World Cup, despite the European Club Association announcing earlier this year that its clubs would not compete at the first edition in 2021.

The revamped event will be held every four years and replaces the seven-team annual competition which has failed to cement itself on the global football calendar.

It will be staged in June and July in a slot previously reserved for the Confederations Cup.

According to reports, the 24 teams will be split into eight groups of three, with the winners progressing to the quarter-finals.

"The bottom line is that we must look into solutions," Infantino added.

"We must sit down to discuss all the different interests and to adapt the international match calendar as necessary. 

"So far, all football has done historically has been to add more matches and more tournaments. 

"But football is not a first come, first serve endeavour, about which we can say that it is simply fully booked. 

"We must be open to rethink the concept of how global football is structured."

Infantino also praised Qatar for its readiness for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and confirmed discussions are to be held about the FIFA Women’s World Cup being played every two years

"With France 2019, we had more than one billion viewers around the world and some incredible figures in countries where normally women’s football is not anywhere close to the men’s game, such as Italy, Brazil or England," he said.

"This tremendous success triggered a few proposals, on which we are already working. 

"Besides, [French Football Federation] President [Noël] Le Graët came up with a proposal that went a bit unnoticed: of playing the FIFA Women’s World Cup every two years instead of four. 

"This would generate benefits and momentum that fit exactly with what the women’s game needs right now. 

"It is something we should put up for discussion."