Club World Cup will be a footballing party, says Spain great Puyol

Barcelona and Spain great Carles Puyol discusses the "footballing party" that FIFA Club World Cup 2025 will bring with the new 32-team tournament in the USA.

Barcelona and Spain icon Carles Puyol says he would "love" to turn back the clock and play in the new 32-team tournament next year.

During a storied career, Carles Puyol won just about everything the game of football had to offer.

The Barcelona side he played in for 15 years – ten of which he spent as captain – lifted a dozen domestic titles, as well as three UEFA Champions Leagues and were twice crowned annual global club champions. He also starred in Spain's 2008 UEFA EURO win, and their maiden FIFA World Cup success two years later.

To enjoy those highs, however, Puyol's career was also marked by the occasional low. Barcelona's 2006 final against Brazilian giants Internacional is one which sticks out in the Spaniard's mind.

"The first year I played [in the tournament], we lost," Puyol told FIFA. "I remember we played against Inter. I remember that when I was little, Barcelona lost while playing against Sao Paulo [in the previous FIFA Intercontinental Cup in 1992].

"I remember all of this with great disappointment for not being able to achieve the goal. Later in life, I had the chance to play in this competition again, and win it twice, and it made me truly happy."

Puyol and Barça, indeed, avenged that defeat by winning the 2009 and 2011 editions of the tournament, becoming the first side to win it twice. In the latter, they defeated a Santos side in the final which contained a teenage Neymar, who scooped the adidas Bronze Ball for his efforts.

While the Brazilian, who would go on to make more than 150 appearances for Barça, looks set to feature at next year's new 32-team FIFA Club World Cup 2025 for current side Al Hilal, Puyol's beloved Blaugrana won't be involved.

"I think this is an opportunity to watch an amazing competition. Unfortunately my team will not be playing," Puyol said of Barcelona, who narrowly missed out via the UEFA ranking pathway. "It's a shame, but that is football. We'll have to work hard to play in the next one. I'm sure this will be a footballing party in which us as fans will be able to enjoy amazing matches."

The new FIFA Club World Cup next year, which will take place across the USA, will have 32 teams from all six confederations competing for global glory, with the tournament taking place in the USA from 14 June to 13 July 2025.

Puyol, who retired in 2014, cherishes being crowned annual global club champions with his boyhood club, and would love to have had the opportunity to play in the new FIFA Club World Cup.

"I'm very lucky because I got to play there with my all-time favourite side," he said. "Winning is always good, whether it's with one team or another. But if it's your own team on top of that, it's doubly good".

"The competition has a completely new format and I would love to go back and experience it, because I'm sure it's going to be a very beautiful and interesting event."