2021 FIFA Club World Cup to move due to rescheduled Euro 2020

Liam Watson
The inaugural 24-team FIFA Club World Cup originally for next year is set to move to accommodate the rescheduled UEFA 2020 European Championship and CONMEBOL 2020 Copa America national team competitions.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino arranged a conference call taking place on Wednesday where he will recommend that the global governing body’s Bureau of the Council accept the postponement of the two continental tournaments and move the expanded 2021 Club World Cup.

The expanded club tournament was meant to take place across eight cities in China from 17th June to 4th July next year in the calendar slot traditionally reserved for the FIFA Confederations Cup national team tournament.

However, UEFA and CONMEBOL, the respective continental confederations for Europe and South America, announced on Tuesday that their flagship national team tournaments would be postponed for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, that created a clash with the 2021 Club World Cup.

FIFA will now wait until ‘there is more clarity on the situation’ to decide new dates for the Club World Cup, which Infantino said could take place later in 2021, in 2022 or even 2023.

Infantino, 49, also plans to arrange discussions with the Chinese Football Association (CFA), the national soccer body, and the Chinese government to ‘minimise any negative impact’ of a postponement.

In addition, FIFA will recommend that the ruling council make a AU$17.5 million to the World Health Organisation Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund, while Infantino says the Zurich-based governing body will also discuss establishing a Global Football Assistance Fund to ‘help members of the football community affected by this crisis’.

‘The world is facing an unprecedented health challenge and clearly a global and collective response is needed,’ Infantino said in a statement.

‘Cooperation, mutual respect and understanding must be the guiding principles for all decision makers to have in mind at this crucial moment in time.

‘Particularly in football, finding appropriate and fair solutions at global level is imperative. This requires unity, solidarity and a shared sense of responsibility and we need to think of all those around the world potentially impacted by our decisions.

‘Finally, it goes without saying that FIFA will keep in regular contact with all members of the football community during this difficult period.

‘As I stated yesterday, challenging circumstances offer the opportunity for people to come together, show what they can do in a collective spirit, and emerge stronger and better prepared for the future. And this is what FIFA is aiming to do here.’

Infantino’s plans to push ahead with an expanded Club World Cup have previously created tension between FIFA and UEFA given the threat the reimagined tournament could impact the value of the UEFA Champions League.

However, those differences appear to have been put to one side as the global soccer industry attempts to implement a unified response to the coronavirus outbreak.

UEFA’s decision to postpone Euro 2020, along with the Copa America due to begin on 12th June, was taken to free up more time for Europe’s domestic soccer leagues to complete their current seasons, the majority of which have now been put on hold.

The move could yet have implications for the UEFA 2021 Women’s European Championship, which is due to get underway on 7th July next year, four days before the new date for the final of the men’s competition.

UEFA is yet to confirm the fate of the tournament, although the governing body’s president Aleksander Čeferin told the Associated Press that postponing the tournament until 2022 is “one of the possibilities” and “one of the most likely to happen”.

“We are thinking of postponing this Women’s Euro as well and Under-21 championship as well,” he said.

“We will have to postpone both because I don’t think that we should cannibalise the women’s Euro with the men’s Euro just one month before.”

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Two NPL VIC clubs receive funding boost from State Budget

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Image credit: Football Victoria

Following the announcement of the 2026 Victoria State Budget, Avondale FC and Hume City FC will both receive major backing for facility upgrades.

 

Valuable support for future projects

Avondale and Hume City now have immensely valuable financial support for infrastructure and facility upgrade projects.

Avondale will see an injection of $500,000 for lighting developments at its home ground, Avenger Park. Meanwhile, Hume City FC, will receive $250,000 to further improve its home ground, Nasiol Stadium, which opened in 2009.

Both clubs expressed their delight at the funding from the State Labor Government, and what the backing may bring to club facilities and overall development going forward.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Victorian Government and Sheena Watt for their support through this $500,000 lighting upgrade investment, which will have a lasting impact on our players, families and the wider Avondale community,” said Avondale Club President, Stephen Strano.

“We have hundreds of players across all age groups utilising these facilities each week, and these improvements will help create an even strong environment for excellence, participation, and community engagement,” outlined Hume City President, Ersan Gülüm.

As a result of these respective investments, both NPL VIC outfits appear set for incredibly opportunities to modernise, develop and strengthen their club infrastructure.

 

Lighting the path to a brighter future

The investments will see features such as lighting upgrades improve facility access for men’s and women’s teams, and LED scoreboards become part of a more modern matchday experiences going forward.

For both clubs, however, lighting upgrades are about more than keeping a pitch open late at night. Improved lighting is a means to a more accessible and supportive future in which both the men’s and women’s teams can utliise local facilities, and matchdays can take place in the excitement of playing ‘under the lights’.

And as Football Victoria CEO, Dan Birrell, highlighted, the improvements made to club facilities are benchmarks for the wider Victorian football community.

“Both Avondale and Hume City are pillars in the Victorian football landscape,” Birrell stated via press release.

“Professional level facilities like Avenger Park and Nasiol Stadium are critical for the development of Victorian football and Football Victoria welcomes the news that they will continue to improve thanks to the support of the Victorian State Government.”

 

More must follow

While the investments from the State Government come as welcome updates for these two clubs, there is still plenty more to be done to evenly develop facilities and infrastructure across Victoria’s football landscape.

Indeed, Avondale FC and Hume City FC are two fantastic community clubs who will no doubt put the funding towards impactful improvements.

But there are plenty more who still need external backing to build infrastructure not just for now, but for future seasons to come.

Football Community Supports Ange Goutzioulis Following MND Diagnosis

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Image Credit: One Nil Media

At just 52 years old, former National Soccer League player Ange Goutzioulis stood in front of a packed room at the Chisholm United launch night in Oakleigh and spoke about something no one ever expects to hear: a diagnosis of Motor Neuron Disease.

But rather than retreat into silence, Goutzioulis chose to speak openly. He spoke not just about the disease itself, but about the reality of living with it, the uncertainty ahead and why awareness matters more than ever.

 

Early stages

For years, football was part of Goutzioulis’ identity. Coaching, movement and routine were all things that once felt natural. Then slowly, something changed.

“I couldn’t even stand properly… I was losing my balance,” he explained.

At first, the signs were confusing rather than alarming. A couple of falls. Difficulty moving. Hospital visits and tests.

“They said, ‘You haven’t got cancer, you haven’t got MS and you haven’t got MND,’” he recalled.

But the symptoms continued worsening. Eventually, further neurological testing revealed the diagnosis: Motor Neuron Disease (MND).

The confirmation came quickly.

“They called it after two or three minutes… they saw the machines and basically said, ‘Yeah, you’ve got MND.’”

The shock was immediate.

So too was the reality.

 

Understanding Motor Neuron Disease

Motor Neuron Disease is a progressive neurological condition that attacks the nerves controlling movement, gradually taking away the ability to walk, speak, swallow and eventually breathe.

There is currently no cure.

For many Australians, awareness of MND remains limited until it touches someone close to them. Goutzioulis now finds himself confronting not only the physical decline, but the emotional weight of understanding what lies ahead.

“There’s no way to stop it… it’s going to kill me,” he said honestly.

Even breakthrough treatments tomorrow, he acknowledged, may come too late for him personally.

Yet despite the enormity of that reality, his focus has already shifted beyond himself.

 

Fighting for awareness while fighting the disease

What stood out throughout the evening was not despair, but resilience.

Goutzioulis spoke candidly about refusing to surrender mentally to the disease. Against medical advice centred around conserving energy and managing fatigue, he continues trying to stay active.

“I keep walking,” he said.

“I’ve got a theory in life that if you work out and keep moving, maybe [your] muscles won’t waste away as quick.”

Whether medically proven or not, the mentality reflects something deeper: a refusal to let MND define every remaining moment.

There was also optimism in the small victories.

Doctors believe he may have already been living with the disease for three years — longer than expected given his current condition.

“That’s a positive,” he said. “So, I’ll take it day by day.”

Image Credit: One Nil Media

Football’s power beyond the pitch

The event itself quickly transformed from a club launch into something more profound: a reminder of football’s ability to rally around people during their hardest moments.

As speakers addressed the room, one message became clear — Goutzioulis is not facing this battle alone.

“There’s probably 100 people here,” said Bill Kosmopoulos, who was hosting the discussion,

“I guarantee there’s 100 people cheering for you, 100 people that would do anything to find a solution for MND.”

In community football, conversations are usually dominated by results, signings, tactics and ambition. But nights like this reveal another side of the game entirely.

Connection.

Humanity.

Support.

By speaking publicly, Goutzioulis gave a deeply confronting disease a human face. Not statistics. Not headlines. A person. A father. A football figure. Someone trying to process what it means to slowly lose control of their own body while still showing up for the people around them.

That vulnerability is precisely why awareness matters.

Because awareness drives conversation.

Conversation drives funding.

And funding drives research that could one day change outcomes for future families facing the same diagnosis.

Image Credit: One Nil Media

“We’re behind you”

As the night closed, the room rose behind him.

Showing admiration for someone willing to confront unimaginable news publicly in the hope it helps others understand the devastating reality of MND.

“On behalf of everyone… thank you so much mate,” one speaker told him.

“We’re behind you.”

Support and raising awareness for the disease is what matters.

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