Expanded Club World Cup: Why FIFA and UEFA agree on 48-team format for 2029

FIFA is exploring significant revisions to its Club World Cup structure following widespread frustration among elite European clubs that failed to secure spots in the 2025 tournament, a development that has cast a spotlight on the competition's qualification rules and long-term vision.

The 2025 edition, the first under an expanded 32-team format, saw several historic powerhouses relegated to the sidelines due to the current qualification criteria, which include limits on the number of entrants per country and a complicated four-year ranking system.

While figures such as Chelsea clinched the title in the U.S. last summer, major clubs like Barcelona, Manchester United, and Liverpool were noticeably absent, underscoring broader concerns about fairness and representation.

Now, with both FIFA and UEFA signaling an appetite for further change, the governing bodies are preparing to expand the tournament again, potentially from 32 to 48 teams, aiming to avoid similar omissions in future editions.

European clubs had lobbied for guaranteed inclusion, opposing earlier proposals to stage the competition every two years, which risked limiting the participation of major clubs due to per-country quotas and the existing four-year ranking system.

The decision also coincided with a reconciliation between UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin and FIFA president Gianni Infantino after tensions peaked during a FIFA congress in Paraguay in May 2025, when European representatives walked out in protest.

The expansion will increase European representation from 12 to 16 clubs, providing opportunities for historically significant teams previously excluded, including Barcelona, Manchester United, and Liverpool.

UEFA's support, in collaboration with the European Club Association, played a decisive role in shaping the new allocation model.

Other confederations are expected to receive modest increases in berths, with South America projected to hold six spots under the proposed format.

Tournament structure and logistics

The 2029 edition is expected to follow a structure similar to the 2026 FIFA World Cup for national teams. Clubs will likely compete in a group stage with three to four teams per group, followed by knockout rounds.

FIFA is still finalizing the exact distribution of berths among confederations, but projections indicate strong European representation alongside incremental growth for Asia, Africa, and North and Central America.

The expanded tournament will test the ability of clubs and organizers to manage travel, player workload, and global broadcasting requirements across an extended schedule.

With the expansion, FIFA is signaling a commitment to both competitive inclusivity and commercial growth, aiming to secure the Club World Cup as a marquee event that attracts the world's biggest clubs and stars for decades to come.