London / March 15, 2026 – In a major new clash between European and world football bosses, UEFA has drawn a firm line: they will block any attempt by FIFA President Gianni Infantino to make the Club World Cup bigger than 32 teams or turn it into a biennial tournament.
According to well-placed sources speaking to The Times, UEFA is ready to go to war to protect the Champions League and the already packed football calendar.
The 2025 Club World Cup (the first 32-team edition held in the USA) had only just finished when Infantino started talking about making the tournament even larger and possibly holding it every two years instead of every four. That idea has not gone down well in Europe.
UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin and his team believe another expansion or a switch to a two-year cycle would overload players, hurt domestic leagues, and threaten the status of the Champions League — the biggest club competition in the world.
One senior UEFA source said privately: “We will fight this with everything we have. The players are already exhausted. We cannot let FIFA keep adding more tournaments just for money.”
Why Expanding the Club World Cup Matters
- The 2025 Club World Cup was already controversial because of its timing and the extra games it added to the calendar.
- Many top European clubs (including Real Madrid and Manchester City) have quietly supported UEFA’s stance.
- Infantino, on the other hand, sees a bigger Club World Cup as a way to grow the global game and bring more money to smaller continents.
This new standoff comes just weeks after relations between Infantino and Čeferin had actually started to improve — making the sudden fight even more surprising.
FIFA has not yet commented officially, but sources close to the organisation say Infantino is determined to push his vision forward.
Fans face ongoing power struggles that could impact the football calendar for years. Will the Club World Cup remain at 32 teams every four years, or will Infantino implement changes?
One thing is clear: UEFA is not backing down this time.
