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Decision intended to improve relations with Europe
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Tournament could expand to include playoff games
Fifa has told the continental confederations that the next Club World Cup will take place in the summer of 2029 in a move that would appear to kill off a proposed bid from Qatar to host the tournament. In another significant development, Fifa has informed the confederations that the next edition is likely to feature more than the 32 clubs that competed in the United States this summer.
The Guardian revealed in June that Fifa was under pressure from leading clubs to expand the Club World Cup to 48 teams, with the lobbying intensifying since last month’s tournament, which resulted in the winners, Chelsea, receiving £85m from the £750m prize and participation fund. While Fifa is understood to have indicated that some expansion is likely for 2029, an immediate leap to the 48-team model that will be used for the first time for the men’s World Cup next year is not guaranteed.
