Luck Smiles on Clubs Like Barcelona and Liverpool

The FIFA Club World Cup made headlines last year when it was held in the United States for the first time with 32 participating teams between June and July. In this expanded tournament, Chelsea emerged as champions, defeating Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) 3-0 in the final. However, major clubs such as Liverpool from the English Premier League and Barcelona, the latest champions of La Liga, were unable to participate, drawing widespread criticism.

In response to these criticisms, FIFA has announced plans to expand the tournament further to 48 teams in its next edition, aiming to make participation more inclusive.

Current Champions and Participants

According to reports by The Times (UK), in the upcoming 2029 edition, each country could have up to three teams participating, replacing the current practice of limiting quotas to two teams per nation.

One of the major criticisms of the last tournament was FIFA’s team selection criteria. Teams were chosen based on their performance in the previous season, which meant that champions of major leagues, including Liverpool (England), Barcelona (Spain), and Napoli (Italy), missed out on the Club World Cup ticket.

This exclusion of top clubs from leading football nations raised questions about the tournament’s credibility, prompting FIFA to hint at expanding the number of participating teams in the future.

While FIFA plans to expand to 48 teams, there are challenges to consider:

• UEFA’s Concerns: UEFA had previously opposed hosting the Club World Cup every two years instead of four, although the schedule was later fixed to every four years.
• Stakeholder Feedback: FIFA must consult stakeholders, especially in Europe, to ensure the new format meets expectations.

FIFA Vice-President Victor Montagliani commented: “It’s similar to any first experience — you ask if you have enough resources. Do you have the right product? We need to discuss with our stakeholders in Europe whether this new format is suitable. We need to consider whether more clubs should be included, or if there should be more diversity in club selection.”

FIFA’s council meeting is scheduled for Thursday, though The Times suggests that discussions on the next Club World Cup and expansion may be limited.

The expansion plan reflects FIFA’s aim to accommodate top clubs like Barcelona and Liverpool, ensuring that future tournaments include the most competitive teams from around the world and reduce controversies over team selection.