Resistance to 48-team Club World Cup softens as quadrennial schedule gathers support

February 20 – Uefa looks set to greenlight FIFA’s plan to expand the Club World Cup to 48 teams for its next edition in 2029.

Previously, European football’s governing body was concerned that a bloated Club World Cup could impact the Champions League and further strain the football calendar that some see as almost unworkable. That resistance has softened, however, with Uefa now reportedly willing to offer its backing in return for assurances the competition will not become a biennial fixture.

The idea of staging the Club World Cup every two years was floated by Real Madrid during talks with FIFA in Miami last June, but the proposal died on the vine amid opposition from Uefa and Europe’s domestic leagues.

Instead, FIFA is looking to expand from 32 teams in part to avoid a repeat of last year, when the likes of Barcelona, Liverpool, and Manchester United all failed to qualify due to a ranking system that confused all and resulted in the competition being won by a Chelsea team with a number of players who had never featured in a Premier League game for the club.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino, addressing the general assembly of European Football Clubs in Rome last October, said expansion was on the agenda, with FIFA working “to see how we can make this event bigger, even better, even more impactful.”

Yet beneath the potential riches lies a growing concern, namely, player welfare. This season has already seen a worrying spike in injuries among players who featured in the expanded Club World Cup, many of them arriving back at their clubs with minimal recovery time after a relentless run of domestic and international commitments.

While the financial rewards are music to the accountant’s ears, with Chelsea banking £85 million from a £774 million prize pot last year, the physical cost is increasingly being borne by players.

Uefa’s opposition was once the major obstacle. Now, the more significant threat comes from legal action brought by European Leagues to the European Commission, challenging FIFA’s control over the international match calendar, including decisions around the Club World Cup.

An expansion to 48 teams will likely push European representation from 12 to 16 clubs in 2029.

Spain and Morocco are favourites to host the 2029 tournament, ahead of their co-hosting of the 2030 World Cup. The spectacle will be grand, but at some point, the stars of the show will need to be consulted, as will the leagues that organise the clubs that pay their wages.

Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1771584533labto1771584533ofdlr1771584533owedi1771584533sni@r1771584533etsbe1771584533w.kci1771584533n1771584533