GENEVA (AP) — The United States will host the Club World Cup in 2025, the first time the FIFA tournament will feature 32 teams.
Real Madrid, Manchester City and Chelsea have already secured spots as recent Champions League winners for the expanded tournament line-up expected in stadiums and operations a year before the 2026 World Cup.
The United States will host the men’s World Cup along with Canada and Mexico, and FIFA can still award Club World Cup matches to those countries.
The Club World Cup will take place in June-July 2025. The United States was selected to host an online FIFA Council meeting on Friday.
FIFA welcomed “the position of the United States as a known leader in global events and because it would allow FIFA to maximize synergies with the delivery” of the 2026 tournament.
The Seattle Sounders are also in the lineup for the Club World Cup as champions of the CONCACAF North American soccer region in 2022. Americans get another access as a host nation.
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Legendary Europeans have traveled to the U. S. The U. S. for pre-season friendlies for years, but the expanded club tournament will give enthusiasts the rare chance to watch 12 of them play competitive matches.
FIFA said in March that the fundamental qualification path for clubs to win a continental championship in one of the 4 years from 2021 to 2024 in the five major confederations: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America.
Europe with 12 groups and South America with six are the only continents with more than 4 groups. Additional places will be allocated based on the qualification of the groups through the effects over a period of 4 years in continental competitions.
The existing seven-team Club World Cup for continental champions plays the season creates unattractive and FIFA has long sought to hold a major tournament both one and four years.
This expanded edition in 2025 is a great commercial opportunity for FIFA to see new broadcast models and signal to new sponsors, investments of millions of dollars in cash prizes for clubs.
The influential European Club Association said in March it expected talks with FIFA on how to look after advertising rights.
The format of a Club World Cup that will last approximately 3 weeks has not yet been decided. One option is to ensure that all 32 organizations play at least 3 matches each in 8 organizations out of four. The winners of the 8 organizations can advance to the quarterfinals. End. This would create a 56-fit tournament if a third-place finish was included.
The existing annual format of the Club World Cup will continue with a final edition scheduled for December in Saudi Arabia.
Reviving the Club World Cup was a precedent for FIFA President Gianni Infantino when he was elected in 2016, but his first allocation plan stalled. FIFA
FIFA closed a deal in 2019 to launch a 24-team event in June 2021 in China, but this was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic before commercial details were confirmed.
FIFA has returned with a new plan for the Club World Cup after the failure of the Super League allocation led by an elite club organisation in April 2021, sparking intense turmoil for European football’s body, UEFA.
The others already qualified for the 2025 Club World Cup are: Palmeiras (Brazil), Flamengo (Brazil), Monterrey (Mexico), León (Mexico), Al-Ahly (Egypt), Wydad Casablanca (Morocco), Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan). ) and Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia).