FIFA pushes a historic change to the Club World Cup

The 2029 Club World Cup will be a tournament like never before. FIFA, under the leadership of Gianni Infantino, confirmed the competition will expand from 32 to 48 teams, an increase designed to globalize the tournament further and ensure participation from top clubs. This move follows the success of the 2025 edition, where teams from all six confederations proved the competition could attract worldwide attention and high-level rivalry.

According to British newspaper The Guardian, the expansion was not easy to achieve. UEFA, led by Aleksander Čeferin, initially opposed the idea, fearing such a massive tournament could overshadow the Champions League and affect its commercial deals. However, after intense negotiations and a promise to keep the event every four years, Europe ultimately backed the plan, paving the way for a more inclusive and strategically designed edition.

UEFA and CONMEBOL: the biggest winners

With the new structure, UEFA will be the confederation that benefits the most, increasing its slots from 12 to 16 teams, allowing historic clubs that missed previous editions—such as Barcelona, Manchester United and Liverpool—to potentially participate. Meanwhile, CONMEBOL will retain its 6 spots, with the possibility of a seventh via playoff, ensuring South American clubs remain competitive at the highest level.

This adjustment also responds to pressure from European clubs to prevent the tournament from being held every two years, a proposal reportedly supported by Real Madrid that would have overloaded the international calendar and reduced the value of domestic competitions.

More opportunities for all confederations

The expansion to 48 teams will allow other confederations—CONCACAF, AFC, CAF and OFC—to increase their representation, although exact numbers have not yet been finalized. The model is expected to follow a structure similar to the 2026 World Cup, ensuring more balanced participation and giving lesser-known clubs the chance to face European and South American giants.

The host nation has not yet been selected, but Germany, Australia, Brazil, Qatar and England have all expressed interest in staging the tournament, adding another layer of anticipation and competition to host one of the most important events in global football.

A more competitive and global Club World Cup

The 2029 Club World Cup promises to transform the international football landscape. The combination of more slots, the inclusion of historic powerhouse clubs, and greater access for teams from underrepresented confederations will create a tournament that is more exciting and competitive.

Ultimately, the 2029 edition will not only increase the number of participants but also reshape the global football map, balancing interests between UEFA and CONMEBOL while offering fans a tournament filled with more drama, surprises, and historic matchups.

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