FIFA has granted DAZN an exclusive option to negotiate the global digital rights for the 2029 Club World Cup, extending a partnership forged during the expanded 2025 edition. The arrangement arrives as FIFA still has not settled the 2029 tournament's host nation, format or team count, with Morocco emerging as a leading candidate.
How the rights option works
According to The Guardian, the deal does not hand DAZN the 2029 broadcast rights outright. Instead, it gives the platform first claim to negotiate and secure the digital package before FIFA opens talks with other bidders. Neither the price nor the deadline for DAZN to exercise that option has been made public, leaving the financial scope of the agreement unclear for now.
The option builds on DAZN's $1 billion purchase of worldwide rights to the 2025 Club World Cup, the first edition expanded to 32 clubs and hosted in the United States. That deal came together only after several broadcasters and streaming services passed on bidding, and after Apple ended its own talks with FIFA over disagreements on valuation. FIFA had tried and failed to sell regional packages separately before DAZN's offer let the federation match broadcast revenue to the tournament's $1 billion prize pool. Chelsea, the 2025 champion, earned roughly $114 million from that fund.
DAZN's financial backdrop
DAZN continues to commit to marquee sports rights even as its losses widen. The company's operating losses grew from $772.9 million to $939.8 million in 2025, per the report. The streaming platform's willingness to extend its FIFA relationship despite that gap underscores how central live sports rights remain to its subscriber strategy, even without guarantees that the investment will narrow losses in the near term.
Unresolved questions shape the 2029 edition
FIFA has not announced where the 2029 Club World Cup will be played, how many clubs will compete, or whether the field will grow from 32 to 48 teams. Morocco has surfaced as a top contender, a position The Guardian links to FIFA president Gianni Infantino's rapport with King Mohammed VI. A joint bid between Morocco and Spain is also under discussion, notable given both countries are already co-hosting the 2030 World Cup with Portugal. FIFA's choice to award the first Women's Club World Cup to the United States may also work in Morocco's favor for the men's event, while Portugal has reportedly shown little enthusiasm for hosting.
Planning has also been complicated by friction between FIFA and the European Club Association. The dispute followed Infantino's now-withdrawn proposal to sell stakes in FIFA's commercial rights to outside investors. The ECA had threatened to pull its backing for the tournament and pressed FIFA over delayed $250 million solidarity payments owed to clubs from the 2025 competition. Relations have since eased, though talks over the tournament's broader commercial structure continue. FIFA has made no official statement on the 2029 host.