FIFA announces host of the 2025 Club World Cup in the USA with 32 teams

This Friday (23), FIFA announced the venue for the 2025 Club World Cup. The first edition in the history of the World Cup with 32 clubs will be played in the United States. According to FIFA, a decisive factor for choosing the venue for the competition is the proximity to the World Cup that will be played in the country in 2026.

These decisive factors include, of course, the issue of infrastructure and services. As the country will already be prepared, along with Canada and Mexico, to host the World Cup, it makes it easier for FIFA to place the club competition in the same place, as mentioned by Gianni Infantino, president of the federation.

“The 2025 Club World Cup will be the pinnacle of elite men’s professional football, and with the necessary infrastructure and strong local interest, the United States is the ideal host to kick off this new global tournament.”

_{Gianni Infantino (left), announcing the USA as host of the 2025 Club World Cup (Photo: Reproduction/FIFA)}

The dates and venues for the competition have not yet been officially defined and will be announced at a later date.

Of the 32 teams that will qualify for the competition, 12 have already been defined and among them are the Brazilians Palmeiras and Flamengo.

Teams already qualified for the 2025 Club World Cup:

• Palmeiras (Brazil) – Libertadores Champion 2021;

• Flamengo (Brazil) – Libertadores Champion 2022;

• Chelsea (England) – Champion of the Champions League 20-21;

• Real Madrid (Spain) – Champions League Champion 21-22;

• Manchester City (England) – Champions League Champion 22-23;

• Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia) – Champion of the 2021 Asian Champions League;

• Urawa Red (Japan) – Champion of the 2022 Asian Champions League;

• Al Ahly (Egypt) – Winner of the African Champions League 20-21;

• Wydad Casablanca (Morocco) – African Champions League Champion 21-22;

• Monterrey (Mexico) – 2021 Concachampions Champion;

• Seattle Sounders (USA) – 2022 Concachampions Champion;

• León (Mexico) – Champion of Concachampions 2023.

The other vacancies are divided as follows:

• 9 places for UEFA;

• 4 vacancies for Conmebol;

• 2 vacancies for Concacaf;

• 2 vacancies for AFC (Asia);

• 2 vacancies for CAF (Africa);

• 1 vacancy for OFC (Oceania).

By having the host country of the competition, Concacaf, which originally would only have 4 places, gained an extra team in the competition.

The 2023 Club World Cup will be the last in the current format to be played, with the Libertadores and Champions League champions already guaranteed in the semifinals and the other regions with their champions advancing in a bracket. The competition is scheduled to start on the 12th of December and will have its final on the 22nd of the same month.

Featured photo: Trophy most coveted by clubs in the world will be played in the United States in 2025. Reproduction/FIFA