United States to host first edition of FIFA’s 32-team Club World Cup in 2025
The United States was on Friday, June 23, announced as the host country for the expanded Club World Cup in 2025.
This will be the first time that the FIFA tournament features 32 teams, representing a significant expansion from the current format.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino who said the competition will be “the pinnacle” of elite men’s club football, revealed that twelve European clubs will feature, including the past three Champions League winners Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Manchester City.
There would be four representatives each from Asia, Africa, and CONCACAF, which includes North and Central America, as well as six from South America.
The dates, host cities, and match schedule for the tournament will be established at a later date.
Asides from hosting the first edition of the expanded FIFA club world cup, the United States will also host the 2024 Copa America. They are also co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup along with Mexico and Canada.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said;
“The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 will be the pinnacle of elite professional men’s club football.
“With the required infrastructure in place together with a massive local interest, the United States is the ideal host to kick off this new, global tournament.”
The current version of the FIFA Club World Cup, an annual competition with seven teams, will be discontinued after 2023.
The 20th edition of the Club World Cup, which runs from 12-22 December 2023, will be hosted by Saudi Arabia.
Real Madrid won the last edition, which was held in Morocco in February. The African country also hosted the event in 2013 and 2014, and it has also been held in Brazil, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.
This expanded version in 2025 is a huge commercial opportunity for FIFA to try new broadcasting models and sign new sponsors, funding hundreds of millions of dollars in prize money for the clubs.
