Finally, in the early hours of Sunday, the curtain will rise on the 21st edition of the FIFA Club World Cup on U.S. soil. Teams have already begun arriving in the United States to take part in the tournament. The opening match will feature host club Inter Miami, led by Lionel Messi, taking on Egypt’s Al Ahly.
The last edition of the tournament, held in 2023, featured seven teams. This time, for the first time ever, the Club World Cup will include 32 teams. Powerhouse clubs from Europe like Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, and PSG will be participating. However, notable clubs such as Barcelona, AC Milan, and Liverpool failed to qualify, which some believe could slightly dampen the tournament’s popularity.
There is no separate qualifying process for the Club World Cup. Clubs earned their spots based on continental championships and rankings from 2021 to 2024. Each league is sending two clubs to this edition. A total of 12 teams from Europe will compete, along with six from South America. Additionally, four clubs each from North and Central America, Asia, and Africa will participate. Oceania will be represented by one club, and host teams Inter Miami and play-off winner Los Angeles FC are also included.
Next year, the men’s World Cup will feature 48 teams and be hosted jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Similarly, 48 teams will compete in the 2031 Women’s World Cup. FIFA, football’s global governing body, has also decided that the Club World Cup will now be held every four years. Accordingly, the 22nd edition will take place in 2029, and there are plans to expand that tournament to include 48 teams as well.
The champion of this year’s Club World Cup will receive $125.8 million in prize money — nearly £25 million less than what PSG earned for winning the last Champions League. However, in the 2029 edition, the winning team could receive up to $1 billion. FIFA has stated that no final decision has been made yet, and discussions will be held with all stakeholders after this tournament to finalize the format and structure of the Club World Cup going forward.
Furthermore, there is an expectation that European clubs will play a greater role in the success of the Club World Cup in the future. FIFA aims to leverage the commercial power and global popularity of these clubs to make the tournament even bigger. However, FIFA’s expansion plans have already faced opposition. The international players’ union FIFPro has voiced concerns, and UEFA has filed a complaint with the European Commission.
