FIFA is weighing up plans to bring back the Confederations Cup in a streamlined 8-team format, with a potential return in 2026.
The proposed tournament would reunite continental champions and the reigning World Cup winner, reigniting a competition that was discontinued after the 2017 edition.
The new format would see champions from each continent come together for a compact tournament held every four years, serving as a global showcase one year ahead of each FIFA World Cup.
Proposed Line-up of Nations:
Argentina – FIFA World Cup winners
Spain – UEFA Euro 2024 champions
Portugal – UEFA Nations League winners
Colombia* – Copa América finalist (Argentina already qualified via World Cup)
Mexico – CONCACAF Gold Cup winners
Qatar – AFC Asian Cup winners
Ivory Coast – AFCON champions
New Zealand – OFC Nations Cup winners
The proposal marks a potential revival of what was once FIFA’s premier preparatory tournament for the World Cup, offering intense, cross-confederation competition.
Patrice Motsepe, CAF President, and Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, react prior to the FIFA Club World Cup match in Orlando, Florida. Photo by Getty Images.
In addition to FIFA’s plans, the idea complements earlier efforts by UEFA and CONMEBOL to create similar intercontinental matchups.
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In July 2021, UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin and CONMEBOL president Alejandro Domínguez initiated discussions to establish a regular competition between the European Championship and Copa América winners.
Their vision involved aligning both continental tournaments two years ahead of each World Cup, with the new joint competition staged a year before the World Cup in the host nation.
A trial edition was held on 1 June 2022, when Argentina defeated Italy 3-0 at Wembley Stadium in the Finalissima — a reboot of the CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions.
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That event, widely praised for its competitiveness and symbolic value, may now serve as a template for the wider revival of the Confederations Cup.
FIFA is said to be “assessing scheduling feasibility and confederation interest” as it reviews the international match calendar ahead of the 2026 World Cup in North America.
