The new 32-team Club World Cup will be hosted in the United States, FIFA have confirmed on Friday.
The competition will be the third major tournament to be hosted in the country within the space of a couple of years with the Copa America in 2024 and World Cup in 2026 scheduled. Now, the Club World Cup will take place Stateside in a fresh look to the competition.
Currently, the format involves seven teams in total competing for the title. The winner of each continent competition plus the hosts' national champion participate, with Real Madrid the current champions.
Now, plans have been announced for a blockbuster 32-team version of the tournament. President Gianni Infantino insisted it will reflect a similar resemblance to the World Cup. He said on Friday: "The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 will be the pinnacle of elite professional men’s club football, and 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.
“With some of the world’s top clubs already qualified, fans from every continent will be bringing their passion and energy to the United States in two years’ time for this significant milestone in our mission to make football truly global.”
The newly-formed tournament will take place every four years and will include the last three Champions League winners - Chelsea, Real Madrid and Man City. There will be a total of 12 teams from Europe, with a spot reserve for next season's Champions League winners and the next eight highest-ranked teams in UEFA's ranking.
Brazilian clubs Palmeiras and Flamengo have also been confirmed as well as Mexican sides Monterrey and Leon. US side Seattle Sounders will also represent the MLS after winning the 2022 version of the tournament.
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Following FIFA's announcement, U.S Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone spoke of the nation's pride to host the first version of the tournament. “We are thrilled that the United States has been selected to host the most prestigious club competition in world soccer,” she said.
“This adds to the already unprecedented runway of top-tier events in which either our National Teams are involved or are taking place in our country and is yet another opportunity to grow the game here in the United States.”
