FIFA delivers great news to MU and Barcelona

The FIFA Club World Cup is expected to increase its scale from 32 to 48 teams in the upcoming tournament, after facing pressure from several top clubs that missed out, such as Barcelona and Man Utd.

According to sources from The Guardian, UEFA is reportedly ready to support FIFA's plan to raise the number of participating teams in the FIFA Club World Cup to 48 in the 2029 edition. This signals an improving relationship between the two presidents Aleksander Ceferin and Gianni Infantino.

Previously, UEFA opposed the expansion, fearing that a larger Club World Cup could undermine the status and appeal of the Champions League. However, this stance has softened, provided the tournament is not held every two years.

The idea of holding the tournament biennially was proposed by Real Madrid during discussions with FIFA in Miami last June. However, due to opposition from UEFA and European domestic leagues, the proposal did not advance. In a related development, Real Madrid recently ended a five-year legal battle with UEFA by officially withdrawing from the European Super League project, showing their willingness to align with the global football authorities led by Infantino, Ceferin, and PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi.

Ahead of the Club World Cup held in the US last summer, Guardian revealed that FIFA considered increasing the number of teams beyond 32 to ensure more major European clubs participate, after Barcelona, Liverpool, and Man Utd failed to qualify.

In October last year in Rome, Infantino confirmed that expansion was on the agenda, emphasizing FIFA's desire to make the event “bigger, better, and more impactful.”

Despite UEFA’s previous opposition posing a major obstacle, FIFA still faces another legal challenge as the European Leagues group has filed a complaint with the European Commission regarding the international match calendar, including the Club World Cup.

Some UEFA officials remain concerned that the tournament's huge prize money could disrupt the balance of European football. However, the plan to increase to 48 teams is seen as less disruptive than holding the event every two years.

Although details are yet to be finalized, European clubs are expected to benefit the most, as their spots could rise from 12 to 16 by 2029. Last season, Chelsea earned £85 million from a total prize pool of £774 million thanks to their championship victory. Adding more European representatives might also affect competitive balance in the Champions League.