The United States will host the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, the first time the tournament will feature 32 teams. The expanded tournament will be a major test for stadiums and operations in the United States one year before the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The first edition of the tournament will take place from 15 June to 13 July 2025.
Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Chelsea have already earned places in the tournament as recent UEFA Champions League winners. The Seattle Sounders also qualified as the 2022 champion of North American football region Concacaf.
FIFA praised the United States’
“proven leadership in staging global events” and said that hosting the Club World Cup would “allow FIFA to maximize synergies with the delivery” of the 2026 World Cup.
The expanded Club World Cup will give fans a rare chance to see some of the biggest clubs in the world compete in the United States. Europe will have 12 teams in the tournament, while South America will have six. Extra places will be awarded according to team rankings by results in continental competitions.
The format for the 2025 Club World Cup has not yet been finalized, but one option is to guarantee each team at least three games by playing in eight groups of four. The eight group winners would then advance to the quarterfinals.
The expanded Club World Cup is a huge commercial opportunity for FIFA. The influential European Club Association has said that it hopes to talk to FIFA about how to manage the commercial rights.
Reviving the Club World Cup was a priority for FIFA president Gianni Infantino when he was elected in 2016. His first project plan was blocked, but FIFA got agreement in 2019 for a 24-team event to launch in June 2021 in China. However, that was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
FIFA came back with a fresh Club World Cup plan after the Super League project led by an elite group of clubs quickly failed in April 2021.
Other teams already qualified for the 2025 Club World Cup are: Palmeiras (Brazil), Flamengo (Brazil), Monterrey (Mexico), Leon (Mexico), Al-Ahly (Egypt), Wydad Casablanca (Morocco), Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan), and Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia).
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is sure to be a major event, and the United States is the perfect place to host it. With its world-class stadiums and passionate fans, the United States is sure to put on a show for the ages.
