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FIFA Approves 24-Team Club World Cup Despite European Boycott Threat

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Club World Cup
Real Madrid beat Al Ain to win the 2018 Club World Cup

Fifa has approved a revised 24-team Club World Cup starting in 2021 despite top European clubs saying they would boycott the tournament.

The new competition is expected to include eight teams from Europe.

It will run every four years and take place from June to July in the slot currently used for the World Cup warm-up event, the Confederations Cup.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino said he was “extremely happy” after the Fifa Council backed his plan on Friday.

“Now the world will see a real Club World Cup where fans will see the best teams in the world compete to be crowned the real world champions,” he said.

The Club World Cup is currently held every December and features seven teams from six confederations, but the competition is largely ignored by European fans.

As well as eight European clubs, the new tournament would see six teams from South America, three each from Africa, Asia and North and Central America and one from Oceania.

It has been suggested each club could earn £50m from taking part.

The European Club Association (ECA) says any new competitions should be part of an agreed framework for the international match calendar post-2024.

ECA board members, including Manchester United’s chief executive Ed Woodward, signed a letter expressing concerns, which was revealed earlier on Friday.

“[We are] firmly against any potential approval of a revised CWC – no ECA clubs would take part,” it said.

When asked if he was concerned about staging a new Club World Cup without any of Europe’s elite clubs, Infantino said: “We hope that all the best teams will participate and we’ve had some very positive discussions with Uefa.

“But it was our responsibility to take a decision because we have to deal with the organisational matters – it is only two years away.”

The Fifa Council also decided that it would be “feasible” to expand the Qatar 2022 World Cup from 32 to 48 teams.

World football’s governing body voted to expand the 2026 World Cup – which will be hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States – to 48 teams in 2017.

The council will now discuss potential additional hosts to Qatar and a final decision will be made at a Fifa congress in Paris in June.

“If it happens, fantastic. If it doesn’t happen, fantastic also,” said Infantino.

The ECA’s letter was addressed to Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin, who has been asked to explain the position at the Fifa Council meeting, which is taking place in Miami.

The letter, obtained by BBC Sport, stated that there should be no changes to the current fixed international match calendar (IMC), which runs until 2024, and raised concerns about fixture congestion.

It said: “We wish to restate the position of ECA: (a) ECA is unwilling to consider any new or significantly revised competition prior to a holistic assessment of the IMC post-2024 being conducted and an agreement as to its underlying principles being reached; and (b) in any event, a Club World Cup in June 2021, as proposed by Fifa, is not acceptable in light of the existing competitions and the IMC, which is fixed until 2024.”

According to a Fifa document seen by Associated Press, it has been proposed the tournament would run from 17 June to 4 July, with 2022 World Cup qualifiers (31 May to 8 June) preceding it and the African Cup of Nations and Concacaf Gold Cup possibly taking place from 5 July to 31 July.

Fifa said it was aware of concerns of “serious interference with critical matches” but added that members of its own task force “felt that it was feasible to play the Club World Cup” during that period.

Entertainment Gists

Josh2Funny’s Album Has Fans Talking — But Should He Stick To Music Or Skits?

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Josh2Funny’s Album Has Fans Talking — But Should He Stick To Music Or Skits? 😂🎶

 

 

Nigerian comedian and content creator Josh2Funny has taken his comedy game into music, and Nigerians are definitely having something to say about it.

The comedian released his 15-track album, “On Behalf of Josh,” on July 10, 2026, but instead of fading away after release, the project has continued to generate conversations on X.

And the big question now is:

Should Josh2Funny continue with music or go back to skits? 😂

Fans have been divided. While some listeners openly criticized the album and told him to return to comedy, others found songs they genuinely enjoyed.

One X user joked:

“Josh2Funny stopped doing skits and started music, Everybody wan chop this music money 😂”

Another simply said:

“This Josh2Funny Album no enter make he just go back skit abeg 😂”

But then came “Lembe.” 🔥

The track caught fire on X and eventually became a trending topic in Nigeria. The #LembeChallenge also gained momentum as creators began jumping on the song.

Josh2Funny later announced ₦1 million for winners of the challenge, giving the song another major push.

And it didn’t stop there.

‘INTERNATIONAL’ FT. ICE PRINCE ALSO TRENDED

On another day, “International” featuring Ice Prince generated its own buzz on X.

One fan even called it their favourite song from the album, while praising the collaboration. The post itself pulled thousands of views, showing that people weren’t only talking about Lembe.

From album criticism to trending songs and challenges, “On Behalf of Josh” has kept Josh2Funny’s name in the conversation.

Whether you love the album or think he should return to skits, one thing is clear:

Josh2Funny has succeeded in getting Nigerians talking. 😂🔥

So, let’s settle this once and for all:

Should Josh2Funny continue with MUSIC 🎶 or return to SKITS 😂?

Music or Skits? Drop your answer! 👇

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RUAN-Badkid.96: The Unfiltered Voice Recommitting African Sound to Truth

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RUAN-Badkid.96 is a Nigerian recording artist whose music refuses to live inside a single genre. Blending Afrobeat, Afrofusion, trap, hip-hop, melodic rap, R&B, and global influences, he creates records that move effortlessly between raw street energy, soulful storytelling, and infectious melodies. Whether delivering hard-hitting bars, emotional love songs, or rhythm-driven African records, his sound is defined by authenticity rather than limitation.

Inspired by both African culture and international music, RUAN-Badkid.96 embraces the confidence and ambition of global hip-hop while staying deeply connected to his roots. His lyrics explore love, heartbreak, betrayal, friendship, social injustice, hope, and the everyday realities of life. He doesn’t create music to follow trends, he creates music to reflect truth, emotion, and human experience.

Behind his fearless image is an artist who believes in kindness, equality, justice, and genuine human connection. His appearance may be intimidating, but his message is rooted in compassion and authenticity. Every record carries a piece of his journey, proving that strength and vulnerability can exist in the same voice.

For RUAN-Badkid.96, music is more than entertainment, it’s a language, a testimony, and a lifelong mission to connect with people through honesty, versatility, and unforgettable sound.

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Meet the Man Who Turned Hype Into a Science: Emmy Blaq, Nigeria’s G.O.A.T. of Hype

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If you have ever been at a Nigerian event and found yourself on your feet before the main act even stepped on stage, there is a good chance a hype man was responsible. But not just any hype man. Emmy Blaq, born Ikechukwu Emmanuel Chima and raised in Auchi, Edo State, has spent the last few years quietly becoming the most talked-about name in that profession, and the Nigerian press has taken notice. Punch, Vanguard, The Guardian Nigeria, The Nation, and Independent Newspaper have all sat down with him, and every conversation leads back to the same thing: this man does not just make noise; he makes moments.
What makes Emmy Blaq different is the journey behind the energy. Before the stages, the collaborations with Waje on her “Waje 2.0” album, DJ Consequence, and DJ Kaywise on the massively streamed “Joor Party Mix” series, he was repairing generators, cutting hair, and sewing clothes in Auchi. His first professional hype gig happened at a local fast food spot called Valchi, and the crowd response that night changed everything. He told The Nation directly: “My passion for entertainment and desire to make people happy led me into the craft.” Punch also captured his bigger mission when he said that hype men deserve more than what they currently earn, a statement that sparked a real conversation across Nigerian entertainment circles.
With over 1.7 million TikTok followers, 23.6 million TikTok likes, a viral “Wife Material” challenge that landed on Pulse Nigeria’s top ten social media moments of 2021, and an international performance at the Cameroon International Music Festival that Cameroonian media described as electrifying, Emmy Blaq is not building toward something. He is already there. The G.O.A.T. of Hype is not a title he gave himself and hoped would stick. It is one the rooms keep confirming every single time he grabs the mic.

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