The FIFA Council has unanimously appointed the U.S. as the host of the new and expanded 32-team FIFA Club World Cup that is due to take place in 2025. The decision took into consideration “the infrastructure and service requirements, as well as broader strategic objectives for the tournament,” said FIFA in a statement. The U.S. will jointly host the FIFA World Cup one year later together with Canada and Mexico.
The decision will enable FIFA “to maximize synergies with the delivery of the FIFA World Cup 2026, to the benefit of both tournaments,” the association commented. The U.S. will also host the 2024 Copa America. The next step will involve decisions about the dates, venues and match schedule of the new tournament.
The first FIFA Club World Cup was contested in Brazil in 2000 as the FIFA Club World Championship. In the tournament, the winners of the premier competitions of each confederation come together with the representative of the host country to compete for the trophy. The last edition of the FIFA Club World Cup to be played with the old format will take place in Saudi Arabia in December 2023. The revamped format will be played every four years from June 2025, as opposed to the current annual format.
