The United States has been selected as the host country for the expanded Club World Cup in 2025, as announced on Friday, June 23. This highly anticipated tournament will mark the first time in history that the FIFA competition will feature 32 teams, signifying a significant expansion from its current format.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who referred to the competition as "the pinnacle" of elite men's club football, revealed that twelve European clubs will participate, including the past three Champions League winners, namely Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Manchester City. The tournament will also include four representatives from Asia, Africa, and CONCACAF (comprising North and Central America), along with six representatives from South America.
Specific details such as the dates, host cities, and match schedule for the tournament will be established and announced at a later date. In addition to hosting the inaugural edition of the expanded FIFA Club World Cup, the United States will also serve as the host country for the 2024 Copa America. Furthermore, the United States is one of the co-hosts, alongside Mexico and Canada, for the 2026 World Cup.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed his enthusiasm for the event, stating, "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 involving seven teams, will be discontinued after 2023. The 20th edition of the Club World Cup, scheduled to take place from December 12-22, 2023, will be hosted by Saudi Arabia. The most recent edition of the tournament was won by Real Madrid and held in Morocco in February. Over the years, the event has also been hosted by Brazil, Japan, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.
This expanded version of the Club World Cup in 2025 presents a tremendous commercial opportunity for FIFA, allowing them to explore new broadcasting models, secure new sponsors, and provide significant prize money, potentially amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars, for the participating clubs.
