With the hype of international tournaments in North America at an all-time high over the last twelve months, Mexico has now expressed interest in hosting the 2029 Club World Cup. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed that Mexico is considering hosting the prestigious club tournament. Sheinbaum says the Mexican government will evaluate the possibility, with the final decision depending on the economic and overall benefits the tournament could bring to the country. The United States and Qatar are two other nations expressing interest in hosting the next edition of the expanded Club World Cup.
Mexico served as an official co-host of the 2026 World Cup alongside the United States and Canada, notably hosting the tournament’s opening match. The country’s three host stadiums—Estadio Azteca (Mexico City), Estadio Akron (Guadalajara), and Estadio BBVA (Monterrey)—hosted a total of 13 matches. As hosts, Mexico became the first nation to hold World Cup games in three different tournaments. With widespread praise from visitors and fans for its lively and welcoming atmosphere, Mexico knows how much they can benefit from hosting an international tournament.
Club World Cup expansion
The FIFA Club World Cup expanded to a new 32-team format in 2025, transitioning from the annual 7-team format that had taken place since 2007. Now, with the expansion of the tournament, the Club World Cup will take place every four years rather than annually. Hosted in the United States, the Club World Cup featured a total of 63 games, with Chelsea defeating PSG in the final at MetLife Stadium.
Mexico was represented in the inaugural expanded tournament by Monterrey and Pachuca, who qualified as the 2021 and 2023 CONCACAF Champions League winners, respectively. The expanded format features the continental champions from the previous four years along with additional qualified teams.
Qualification for the first expanded edition
A total of 32 teams qualified for the tournament, representing all confederations.
- AFC (4 slots)
- Winner of the 2021 AFC Champions League — Al-Hilal
- Winner of the 2022 AFC Champions League — Urawa Red Diamonds
- Winner of the 2023–24 AFC Champions League — Al Ain
- Best-ranked eligible team in the AFC four-year ranking — Ulsan HD
- CAF (4 slots)
- Winner of the 2020–21 CAF Champions League — Al Ahly
- Winner of the 2021–22 CAF Champions League — Wydad AC
- Best-ranked eligible team in the CAF four-year ranking — Espérance de Tunis
- Second-best ranked eligible team in the CAF four-year ranking — Mamelodi Sundowns
- CONCACAF (4 slots)
- Winner of the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League — Monterrey
- Winner of the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League — Seattle Sounders FC
- Winner of the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup — Pachuca
- Winner of the play-in match — Los Angeles FC
- CONMEBOL (6 slots)
- Winner of the 2021 Copa Libertadores — Palmeiras
- Winner of the 2022 Copa Libertadores — Flamengo
- Winner of the 2023 Copa Libertadores — Fluminense
- Winner of the 2024 Copa Libertadores — Botafogo
- Best-ranked eligible team in the CONMEBOL four-year ranking — River Plate
- Second-best ranked eligible team in the CONMEBOL four-year ranking — Boca Juniors
- OFC (1 slot)
- Best OFC Champions League winner in the OFC four-year ranking — Auckland City
- UEFA (12 slots)
- Winner of the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League — Chelsea
- Winner of the 2021–22 UEFA Champions League — Real Madrid
- Winner of the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League — Manchester City
- Best-ranked eligible team in the UEFA four-year ranking — Bayern Munich
- Second-best ranked eligible team in the UEFA four-year ranking — Paris Saint-Germain
- Third-best ranked eligible team in the UEFA four-year ranking — Borussia Dortmund
- Fourth-best ranked eligible team in the UEFA four-year ranking — Inter Milan
- Fifth-best ranked eligible team in the UEFA four-year ranking — Porto
- Sixth-best ranked eligible team in the UEFA four-year ranking — Atlético Madrid
- Seventh-best ranked eligible team in the UEFA four-year ranking — Benfica
- Eighth-best ranked eligible team in the UEFA four-year ranking — Juventus
- Ninth-best ranked eligible team in the UEFA four-year ranking — Red Bull Salzburg
- Host (1 slot)
- Winner of the 2024 MLS Supporters’ Shield — Inter Miami CF
Qualification for the 2029 edition
There are no clear criteria at the moment for how teams will qualify for the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup. Rumors at the moment suggest that the tournament is set to expand from a 32-team format to a 48-team tournament for the 2029 edition. If qualification is once again based on the confederations’ club championships, there are seven teams set to play in 2029:
- Al-Ahli: Winner of the 2024-25 and 2025-26 AFC Champions League Elite
- Pyramids: Winner of the 2024-25 CAF Champions League
- Mamelodi Sundowns: Winner of the 2025-26 CAF Champions League
- Cruz Azul: Winners of the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup
- Toluca: Winners of the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup
- Flamengo: Winners of the 2025 Copa Libertadores
- PSG: Winners of the 2024–25 and 2025–26 UEFA Champions League
There is no official announcement expected on the host until at least next summer, with the United States announced as hosts for 2025 in the summer of 2023.
