19 Feb 2026 14:34:31
It looks like The Club World Cup will now be expanded to 48 teams in 2029 and the current holders will be allowed to defend their title which means Chelsea FC will be back in the tournament even if they fail to win the Champions League over the next few seasons. Fifa was always open to expanding the tournament from 32 teams, primarily to guarantee the participation of more of the biggest European clubs after Barcelona, Liverpool and Manchester United failed to qualify.
Infantino said in a speech at the general assembly of European Football Clubs in Rome last October that expansion was on the agenda, saying Fifa was working "to see how we can make this event bigger, even better, even more impactful".
While some at Uefa remain concerned that the huge financial rewards of the Club World Cup will have a destabilising effect on European football, an expansion to 48 clubs is regarded as less disruptive than making it a biennial event which Real Madrid were driving.
Although the fine detail has yet to be agreed, European clubs would be among the main beneficiaries of the expansion, with the number of Uefa qualifiers likely to increase from 12 last year to 16 in 2029. Chelsea won around £117 million from the competition last year and adding more European teams would have implications for the competitive balance of the Champions League with those qualifying for the Club World Cup earning huge amounts of money which Chelsea benefitted from in the summer.
1.) 19 Feb 2026
19 Feb 2026 17:45:36
RBD, I was chuffed to bits to win the CWC and be the only team to have won it all. I will also be chuffed to be in the next tournament as defending champions.
I find it astonishing that some Chelsea fans do see how relevant it will become to our club's history.
2.) 19 Feb 2026
19 Feb 2026 19:49:45
I don't think I've seen anyone play down the successes of the CWC. it was a huge win and a big marketing point to sponsors (or at least should be)
3.) 19 Feb 2026
19 Feb 2026 21:42:05
Me too Tom and every Chelsea fan I know says the same. Sadly, some claim to be Chelsea but are just jealous fans of other clubs. It is the world we now live in where the keyboard is so often the best friend of some.
4.) 20 Feb 2026
20 Feb 2026 04:55:11
RPD, I will be at the game tomorrow and there will be more than one occasion when our fans will sing "we've won it all" and they can sing that for years to come.
There were one or two on this site who referred to it as a meaningless tournament. In fact some of my ST mates were very negative about us lifting that trophy. They have all now changed their mind.
I enjoy all our triumphs and celebrate them to the best of my abilities.
5.) 20 Feb 2026
20 Feb 2026 09:00:27
It was nice to win the both trophies last year, but
I'm not sure how relevant to our history that will be.
I very much doubt Real Madrid, or indeed any of the other top European team would want to sing, we won it all, all they want to sing is we won our league ECL.
6.) 20 Feb 2026
20 Feb 2026 09:30:54
Bill, we won both trophies: fair play but teams like Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich PSG will never play in the Europa League never mind the Conference League.
7.) 20 Feb 2026
20 Feb 2026 09:31:55
At the moment we are apparently unique in European football. I like that.
What other clubs chose to sing is up to them but I like our little ditty.
8.) 20 Feb 2026
20 Feb 2026 11:38:00
Good news RPD and thanks for sharing it.
9.) 20 Feb 2026
20 Feb 2026 13:12:21
I'm with you Tom, sing loud and proud. And I bet Real Madrid etc would love win the Club World Cup as well.
{Ed001's Note - Madrid have already won it 5 times.}
10.) 20 Feb 2026
20 Feb 2026 13:43:49
Greenaway, I will be in full voice and enjoying it to the absolute max.