Qatar has expressed interest in bidding to host the 2029 Club World Cup, a move that would likely shift the tournament to winter. The Guardian has learned that Qatari representatives have held high-level talks with Fifa officials during the current tournament in the US, indicating a desire to stage the next edition in four years.
Qatar is understood to have said it could host a carbon-neutral tournament, contrasting with the current Club World Cup, which involves teams flying across 11 US cities. The nine stadiums built for the 2022 World Cup remain in place, with six used regularly for the Qatar Stars League, potentially minimising costs and travel for fans.
However, extreme summer heat in Qatar would almost certainly require the tournament to be moved to winter, as happened with the 2022 World Cup. December 2029 has been mentioned as a likely slot, but this would face fierce opposition from European leagues, including the Premier League, due to disruption to domestic seasons.
The European Leagues group and global players' union FifPro are already taking legal action against Fifa over lack of consultation on the Club World Cup. Staging the next tournament in Qatar would exacerbate this conflict. Individual clubs may take a different view given the financial rewards: Fifa has provided a $1bn prize fund for this edition, with Manchester City already earning $51.7m for reaching the last 16.
Fifa awarded the 2025 Club World Cup to the US without a bidding process but is expected to hold a formal contest for 2029 given the levels of interest. Qatar joins Spain, Morocco and Brazil as declared bidders. Brazil's federation president Samir Xaud publicly declared the country's bid after a meeting with Fifa president Gianni Infantino in Miami.
