UEFA will reject any attempt by FIFA president Gianni Infantino to expand the Club World Cup, but where do Chelsea stand? GRV’s Football Finances expert Adam Williams is across the subject.
Last summer, the Club World Cup took on a whole new level. For the first time, it became a proper club version of the actual World Cup. Of course, Chelsea went on to beat Paris Saint-Germain in the final.
It was a large-scale success that generated enormous revenue for clubs, with £750m dished out to the participating sides. Sky Sports say Chelsea earned a massive £85m in prize money thanks to the win.
Antonio Conte loves the new Chelsea owners 😬
Do they come anywhere near close to Roman Abramovich?
Antonio Conte on Chelsea
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Now, Infantino is planning to build on that success. He has hinted at expanding the 32-club competition, having increased the number of nations playing at the World Cup. But UEFA are very much against it.
Where do Chelsea stand amid UEFA-FIFA Club World Cup debate?
Chelsea won a huge amount of cash from the competition in 2025, but there are some nuances. The Times reports that Infantino would like to stage the competition more often than every four years.
Chelsea have not yet been confirmed to have even qualified for the 2029 instalment of the competition. But GRV Football Finances expert Adam Williams believes Chelsea would be all for Infantino’s plan.
Reece James #24 of Chelsea FC lifts the FIFA Club World Cup trophy after their team's victory following the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Final match between Chelsea FC and Paris Saint-Germain at MetLife Stadium on July 13, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images
However, UEFA are against it. They will not allow expansion to 48 teams, or staging it more often. The report from The Times says European clubs are against it, but Williams thinks Chelsea would be for it.
“Chelsea will absolutely be in favour of expanding the Club World Cup and will make their case at UEFA level, as they did when lobbying for the expansion of the Champions League or European Super League.
“On the one hand, you might ask why they would want to give more cash to rivals; but the thing BlueCo want more than anything else is reliable cash flows – and if four English teams get into the Club World Cup rather than two, the odds of Chelsea making the grade in each cycle double.
Chelsea co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali before the Premier League match between Chelsea and Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on August 17, 2025 in London, England
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“The real question is whether FIFA can repeat the prize money pot at the next edition. They had about £750m to give to participating clubs in 2025,” Williams said on Chelsea’s potential stance.
“But that was essentially an artificial pot because the tournament’s TV deal was backed by the Saudis via their investment in DAZN. It was, for all intents and purposes, Saudi Arabia that paid Chelsea’s £85m.”
Will Saudi Arabia invest as much money as they did in 2025?
Chelsea’s stance hinges, then, on whether the Club World Cup can offer as much prize money as it did in 2025, while expanding the competition. A £750m pot will be stretched thinner among 48 participants.
If it is Saudi Arabia that are financing the 2029 competition, then they may have to pledge a lot more cash to keep clubs like Chelsea potentially interested. Failure to do that, and they lose some of that interest.
It’s time to bin the five-year plan, Todd 😡
Joe Cole is absolutely right.
Williams says: “Will the Saudis or another Gulf state back the tournament again in 2029? They are already paring back their investments overseas, and the situation in the Middle East might hasten that.
“Could, say, BeIN Sports underwrite the deal if Qatar hosts the tournament? Maybe, maybe not. But the amount of money needed – both in terms of prize money and general expenses – will increase greatly if they expand the tournament to 48 teams.
“If it’s in Europe or North Africa, as has been mooted, maybe they can attract more natural interest. But without the history and prestige of the Champions League or Premier League, it’s difficult to force organic interest and, by extension, more lucrative TV rights.
“Chelsea will be watching these developments very closely. Boehly has spoken in the past about the football calendar being too bloated. But for him, it’s a matter of decreasing the total number of games but increasing the number of high-value games.
Marc Guiu is congratulated by Gianni Infantino after Chelsea FC v Paris Saint-Germain: Final - FIFA Club World Cup 2025
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“They would happily reduce the size of the Premier League and scrap the League Cup if it meant that they could fit in the Club World Cup or an expanded overseas tour,” Williams summarised.
Of course, Boehly’s stance is not taking into account the opinion of the supporters. The European Super League was met with enormous furore, and that could be replicated if players are forced to play more.
Liam Rosenior made the point when defending his decision to bring Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez and Joao Pedro off against PSG. He highlighted that these players have played 100 games in 18 months.
An expanded tournament will only mean bigger group stages or more knockout rounds. Boehly has to find the balance when searching for more revenue streams, especially if it means no League Cup games.
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