FIFA Plans to Expand Club World Cup to 48 Teams

FIFA has agreed with the European Club Association to establish a joint venture to manage the Club World Cup, in a move that could change the format of the tournament in the future and give European clubs, particularly English ones, a broader presence in upcoming editions.

According to the proposed plan, the Club World Cup is set to expand from 32 to 48 teams starting from the 2029 edition, with the possibility of lifting the current restrictions on the number of clubs from the same country.

This comes amid demands from the association to increase the number of European slots, which could open the door for clubs like Liverpool, Manchester City, and Arsenal to participate more.

FIFA aims through this approach to enhance the commercial revenues of the tournament, especially after difficulties in marketing its television rights, before reaching an agreement with the "DAZN" platform to broadcast the previous edition.

The latest edition saw Chelsea crowned as champions, while the participating clubs received significant financial returns, which added more pressure to expand the tournament and increase profits.

Some issues remain unresolved, most notably the distribution of financial solidarity revenues among the federations, in addition to the controversy over the absence of several major clubs like Barcelona in the previous edition. Negotiations are expected to continue in the coming years to finalize the format of the expanded tournament by 2029.