More people know about it because more are involved, and it's generally a more exciting format than a 1 or 2 week tournament of 8 clubs. In form, naturally. In stature, it will never be equal to those two tournaments.
It hasn't been a one week tournament in over a decade. The old 8 team tournament that was 3 months was better but simply needed to represent Central America and the Caribbean better. To me, the ideal tournament would like the current Copa Sudamericana and the old European Cup.
2 weeks, 3 months, it's all the same compared to the tournament now. The current format keeps more clubs involved for a longer period of time. That is good for keeping people interested. The old tournament was in no way better. There were fewer teams and, as a result, less interest.
Keeping poor teams around as long as possible is not a good thing. A longer tournament does not equal better tournament (see NBA regular season snoozefest). With the fact that, as you said, Mexican teams just dominate, we also have far less variety in the final 8 teams. They made up half the final 8 each time, just by playing as they please. That represents fewer spots in other places, where they actually do go all out.
It is good like it is, the FIFA Club Championship the prize money is good. Good enough for teams to want too win.
Let's not stray for far the original points. You think the tournament suffers because of it's length, and that is false. Sorry. It suffers because no one can beat Mexican clubs.
Quote feature is not really working this morning. My main point is that the thing is oversized. Too many teams and it takes too long. It takes too long because many of these teams are not interesting and we have a group stage keeping them around. No, I don't. I think there should be a shorter, KO-only tournament with some degree of randomness. The teams that we have can't provide much interest, and with the size of the tournament, likely never will.
Since you imply that its other areas of concacaf outside of US & Mex who are really letting down CCL, maybe tournaments involving those areas should be increased and not the CCL itself. They have the Caribbean Championship, but there is no longer any Central American tournament. I think that should come back. In fact, I think the first half of the year should be filled with domestic league play of central amer leagues, and the remainder with a more expanded central amer cup. The amount of group play in this central american cup would not exceed the amount games in domestic league so as not to run afoul of Fifa. I think you could do around 8 teams each from CR, Guat, Hon, and El Sal, or something like that, while the remaining teams of their 10 or 11 team league would be in a sort of relegated situation for that 2nd half of year. All those leagues operate on pro/rel basis. All 4 semifinalist of central amer cup would then make it to next CCL, and top 3 of Caribbean cup (as it is now). Add one for Canada, and you have the 16 teams of CCL (plus 4 from Mex, 4 US). I think CCL is fine, but should be restricted to just half of a year. For the other half, we could get on our knees the way the mexican federation has done before conmebol for 3 slots to copa sud or copa lib. Its simply gotta happen despite the travel distances. A simple quarterfinal matchup in copa lib between RSL and Cruzeiro would dwarf the CCL final of RSL v Mont in terms of excitement. And yeah, I do think a slightly stonger RSL could make it that far in that tournament.