Club World Cup, next edition in 2029. The Qatar hypothesis hangs in the balance
According to the Guardian, the competition should not be held in winter, but in summer. The scenario puts Qatar's candidature in crisis. Spain and Morocco are ready, with the playoff hypothesis and 48 teams
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The next edition of the Club World Cup will be held in the summer of 2029. Fifa has reportedly communicated this to the continental confederations. A choice that would, in fact, ignore Qatar's bid. This was revealed in an exclusive by the Guardian, according to which the organisation is considering a enlargement of the tournament beyond the 32 clubs playing in the United States this year. There are discussions about preliminary playoffs that could generate new revenues, while the debate on TV rights, players' welfare and the future international calendar, already criticised by athletes, coaches and insiders for being overcrowded, remains open.
Goodbye Qatar
The decision to place the tournament in the summer could nip in the bud the Qatari proposal to host the competition in the winter. According to the English newspaper, talks between Doha officials and Fifa were held in Miami last June, but the announced timing drastically reduces their chances of success.The move also aims to mend fences with the European leagues, which are opposed to a further calendar shift.
Over 32 clubs: push for 48
The 2025 Club World Cup in the United States involved 32 teams, with champion Chelsea collecting £85 million from the total prize money of £750 million. After that tournament,the pressure from clubs and investors for an enlargement to 48 participants intensified. Fifa, reports the Guardian again, sees an expansion for 2029 as likely, but it is not certain that the 48-team format will be reached immediately, similar to the World Cup for Nationals, which will adopt this format as early as 2026.
The playoff idea and the rights business
.A test case was the one-off playoff between Los Angeles FC and Club América to decide the last Concacaf spot, created after León's exclusion for timeshare violations involving the other participating club Pachuca. The experiment, deemed a success, could turn into a stable format: a series of knockout play-offs immediately before the start of the tournament. This would guarantee spectacle and new TV rights, already valued at £750 million for the last edition thanks to Dazn and the backing of Surj Sports Investment, a Saudi Arabian fund.
Between legal pressure and protection of footballers
.A full expansion from 32 to 48 clubs would mean a move from 64 to 104 matches, with heavy impacts on calendars and athletes' health. That is why FIFA is thinking about the playoffs as a compromise. Disputes remain, however: the European Leagues group and the global players' union FifPro have already filed a legal complaint, while the European Commission is considering a formal investigation.
