The 32-team tournament starts in the United States on Saturday, with the winners receiving up to $125.8 million in participation and prize money for playing seven matches.
However, that figure is approximately £25 million less than PSG earned from UEFA for their 17-game Champions League-winning campaign, raising concerns among clubs who missed out on qualification.
This disparity has fueled criticism from major European clubs with vast global fanbases, including Barcelona, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, and AC Milan, that failed to qualify due to UEFA’s 12-team European quota.
Expansion appears the viable solution for greater European representation unless FIFA revises its continental limits.
Next year’s men’s World Cup and the 2031 Women’s World Cup will involve 48 teams for the first time, so expanding the Club World Cup would be consistent with FIFA’s new tournament model.
However, FIFA sources revealed that although serious discussions regarding expansion had yet to take place, talks with all stakeholders about the Club World Cup’s format and structure would be held after this summer’s tournament.
Premier League clubs have also pushed for changes to the current restriction limiting two clubs per country.
This rule led to Liverpool missing out, despite ranking among the best eight non-Champions League-winning clubs between 2021 and 2024. Chelsea, Manchester City, and Real Madrid qualified as Champions League winners during that period, while nine other European clubs qualified via UEFA rankings, with Real Madrid winning the tournament twice in 2022 and 2024.
FIFA has relaxed the per-country limit for continental champions, enabling Brazil to field four clubs after four consecutive Copa Libertadores wins.
Meanwhile, the U.S. secured three spots after LAFC defeated Mexico’s Club América in a playoff triggered by Club León’s disqualification over ownership rule violations.
FIFA General Secretary Mattias Grafström emphasized openness to reform in an interview with The Athletic, stating, “All options are open for 2029. We remain committed to collaborative discussions with confederations and clubs to shape the competition’s future.”
An expanded Club World Cup would likely be welcomed by European clubs, whose commercial strength and global popularity are not adequately represented in this year’s entry list.
A larger tournament featuring more prominent European clubs would also benefit FIFA, which initially faced challenges in securing commercial deals for the competition.
Broadcaster Dazn secured global TV rights in a $1bn deal, allowing regional sublicensing; Channel 5 holds UK rights for 23 matches.
The Dazn agreement is partly funded by a 10% investment from Saudi Arabia’s SURJ Sports Investment. Saudi financial backing further underpins the tournament, with the country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced as official partners last week. Longstanding FIFA sponsors Adidas, Coca-Cola, and Visa have also joined after initial hesitation, though ticket sales have reportedly been mixed.
However, any expansion plans are expected to face resistance from the international players’ union, Fifpro and the European Leagues, who already filed a legal complaint with the European Commission accusing FIFA of "abuse of dominance" for allegedly failing to consult them adequately on the tournament schedule.
FIFA have denied the allegations, counter-accusing some leagues of acting out of "commercial self-interest" and "hypocrisy." The European Commission has yet to decide whether to investigate the complaint.
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