FIFA is considering holding the Club World Cup every two years starting from 2029, a move that would place greater pressure on the international fixture calendar and spark renewed strong opposition from the Premier League and UEFA.
The next edition of the Club World Cup will take place in four years' time. Previously, the tournament was held in the United States this summer, with an expansion to 32 teams for the first time.
However, FIFA is facing pressure from major clubs to switch to a biennial format. Real Madrid proposed the biennial plan during talks with FIFA in Miami last June, and this proposal has received support from other clubs that failed to qualify for this year's tournament, including Barcelona, Manchester United, Liverpool and Napoli.
Chelsea received £85 million in prize money for winning the tournament, and other European elite clubs are also eager to have the opportunity to tap into FIFA's substantial revenue stream, which primarily comes from Saudi Arabia's Surj Sports Investments.
Sources at FIFA stated that while there is currently no serious consideration of staging the Club World Cup in 2027, the situation could change after 2029, when the possibility of holding it again in 2031 will be explored.
FIFA is powerless in the short term because the international fixture calendar is already set until 2030, and the schedule only includes the 2029 Club World Cup, which is part of a memorandum of understanding signed by
FIFA and the European Club Association two years ago.
FIFA is already facing legal action from World Leagues (an international lobbying group that includes the Premier League) and thus has no intention of further inflaming tensions by scrapping the current schedule.
With the support of FIFPRO, the global footballers' union, World Leagues has filed a legal complaint with the European Commission, accusing FIFA of "abusing its dominant position" by failing to consult with it on the scheduling of the Club World Cup.
Holding the new tournament every two years will further escalate tensions, but both sides acknowledge that the entire global schedule after 2030 is up for negotiation.
FIFA is reviewing the qualification criteria for the 2029 Club World Cup and may lift the cap of two clubs per country.
FIFA is consulting on whether to increase the number of participating teams from 32 to 48. The men's World Cup next year and the 2031 Women's World Cup will feature 48 teams for the first time, so expanding the Club World Cup in terms of participation will align with FIFA's tournament model.
FIFA awarded this year's tournament hosting rights to the United States without a tender and plans to implement a formal bidding process for future tournaments. Qatar, Spain and Morocco have all expressed interest in hosting the 2029 Club World Cup, and details of the bidding process are expected to be announced later this year.
