Gianni Infantino bizarrely has his name engraved on the new Club World Cup trophy TWICE - and hails himself for inspiring the new competition

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FIFA President Gianni Infantino has bizarrely had his own name engraved onto the newly-unveiled Club World Cup trophy twice after revealing the silverware's luxury design.

The 54-year-old has been desperately trying to ramp up excitement for the newly-formatted tournament that will take place in the United States next summer with 32 teams from around the world competing.

England will be represented by the nation's most recent Champions League winners in Manchester City and Chelsea while Lionel Messi will also feature after Inter Miami were controversially included.

Now, FIFA and Infantino have unveiled the trophy that the winning team will eventually hold aloft at the MetLife Stadium in New York on July 13 that features a nod to the president's tenure.

Luxury jewellers Tiffany & Co have crafted the striking gold-plated trophy that is in the shape of a circle with multiple spinning layers being inscribed on the stunning piece of art.

Two of the engravings reference Infantino and while the FIFA chief didn't have a design input, he would have had to give approval for his name and other signatories to be included.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has bizarrely had his own name engraved onto the newly-unveiled Club World Cup trophy twice

The Club World Cup trophy was crafted by luxury jewellers Tiffany & Co and was unveiled on Thursday

One of the engravings on the trophy hails Infantino as the competition's 'founding president'

The first inscription reads: 'founding president, Gianni Infantino' followed by the 54-year-old's signature.

Meanwhile, the second and more unusual inclusion hails Infantino for inspiring the competition, despite it facing critics and a lack of interest from television broadcasters.

The engraving says: 'We are witness to a new age. The golden era of club football: the era of the FIFA Club World Cup. The pinnacle of all club competitions. Inspired by the FIFA president Gianni Infantino.' 

The Swiss-Italian citizen has been at the centre of trying to generate excitement for the tournament that in its old format has previously been largely viewed as an inconvenience to some top European teams.

Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami team-mates will feature in the newly-formatted tournament

In October last year, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti remarkably claimed his side would refuse to participate in the Club World Cup only for the club to later back-track on their stance.

However, Infantino believes competing teams will fall in love with the competition, describing it as 'revolutionary' and a 'new future for club football'.

Releasing a statement to support the trophy's unveiling, Infantino beamed: 'The trophy had to be innovative, inclusive, ground-breaking and truly global, as this competition is.

'The FIFA Club World Cup trophy — a remarkable equivalent to our iconic FIFA World Cup — is a revolutionary symbol of a bright, new future for club football, inspired by the most.'