UEFA Set to Back FIFA Proposal for 48-Team Club World Cup in 2029

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is preparing to support FIFA's proposal to expand the Club World Cup to 48 teams for the next edition in 2029.

UEFA had previously opposed plans to expand the tournament, fearing it could threaten the status of the Champions League. However, it is now ready to back FIFA in exchange for a commitment not to hold the tournament every two years, according to The Guardian newspaper.

Real Madrid had previously suggested a biennial cycle for the tournament during talks with FIFA in Miami last June. However, this idea did not progress due to opposition from UEFA and all European domestic leagues.

The same source revealed that FIFA was open to expanding the tournament from 32 teams, primarily to ensure the participation of more of Europe's biggest clubs, following the failure of Barcelona, Liverpool, and Manchester United to qualify for previous editions.

UEFA's stance signals an improvement in relations with FIFA, after ties reached a low point when UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin and a group of European representatives, including English FA Chair Debbie Hewitt, withdrew from a FIFA conference in Paraguay last May. This withdrawal was in protest of Gianni Infantino's late arrival following a diplomatic tour in the Middle East.

Spain and Morocco are considered the leading candidates to host the next Club World Cup in the summer of 2029, one year before they co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Portugal.