Club World Cup Expansion Faces Strong Opposition from UEFA, Says Gianni Infantino

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has expressed his intention to expand the Club World Cup beyond its current format of 32 teams and to increase the frequency of the tournament. However, UEFA, the governing body of European football, is reportedly prepared to block any such attempts to enlarge or make the competition biannual.

The 2025 Club World Cup will introduce a new era for the competition by featuring 32 participating clubs, marking a significant expansion from previous editions. The tournament is planned to be held every four years, aiming to determine the best club team in the world on a broader scale. Infantino, who has been president of FIFA since 2016, has long advocated for increasing the size and scope of the Club World Cup, viewing it as a key element in FIFA's global football calendar.

Despite these ambitions, UEFA has emerged as a major obstacle to further expansion. According to reports from The Times, UEFA intends to block any proposals that would increase the number of teams or change the tournament's frequency to a biannual event. The European governing body is said to hold the strongest opposition to Infantino's plans, particularly concerning the inclusion of more European clubs. This stance is notable given that the 2024 edition of the tournament featured 12 European clubs, including Benfica and FC Porto, but notably excluded champions from major leagues such as England's Liverpool, Spain's Barcelona, and Italy's Napoli.

Infantino's broader vision for FIFA competitions includes the recent expansion of the FIFA World Cup from 32 to 48 teams, set to be implemented for the first time in the upcoming summer tournament. The Club World Cup expansion has been a consistent promise from Infantino since his election, reflecting his desire to grow FIFA's portfolio of global events and increase participation across continents.

Looking ahead, the 2025 Club World Cup will serve as a key test for these new formats and the evolving dynamics between FIFA and UEFA. The outcome of this tournament and the ongoing negotiations between the two organizations will likely influence the future structure and scheduling of the Club World Cup. Stakeholders and fans will be watching closely to see whether Infantino's vision can be realised or if UEFA's resistance will maintain the status quo in global club football competitions.