Club World Cup could head to Qatar and grow to 48 teams

The tournament is not on standby. While the world is still processing what happened in the United States, FIFA and the planet’s leading clubs are already moving pieces for the next edition – and the outlines are beginning to take shape.

Qatar on pole, Mexico knocking at the door

Qatar stands out as the favourite to host the second edition of the Club World Cup. The logic is familiar: ready infrastructure, a consolidated relationship with FIFA and the capacity to absorb major competitions outside the traditional European calendar. But there is a new name in the running. Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, publicly opened the possibility of the country hosting the tournament – and the offer carries weight. The Mexicans have just organised a World Cup for the third time and want more.

The Qatar hypothesis brings with it a direct consequence for the calendar: if the host is the Gulf nation, the tournament would be played in the European winter, just as the 2022 national-team World Cup was. For the clubs, that means fitting one more competition into an already crowded schedule.

Chelsea pocketed 120 million euros for winning the first edition. The semi-finalists secured 100 million each. Even Atlético Madrid, eliminated as early as the group stage, walked away with 22.7 million in the bank. For the financial model of European club football, ignoring that slice would be an error hard to justify.

Florentino Pérez, one of the format’s biggest enthusiasts alongside Gianni Infantino, had already signalled during Real Madrid’s last election campaign that the calendar would need to be rethought. The winter window, previously ruled out, has become a concrete option.

More teams, more frequency?

Another hot point in the negotiations is the expansion of the tournament: from 32 to 48 participating clubs. The change would allow more than two teams from the same country to play in the tournament – which would directly benefit the strongest leagues, such as the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A. The redistribution of places by confederation is still open.

And there is one more idea circulating behind the scenes. The possibility of holding the Club World Cup every two years, instead of every four. For now, it is speculation. Those involved themselves acknowledge it is far from becoming a decision. But the fact that it is on the table already says something about the ambition driving this project. Nobody here is thinking small.