The United States will host the first expanded Club World Cup in 2025. FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed the hosting of the 32-team tournament on the eve of the 2022 World Cup final, and now we know the first host.

Record number of teams at the Club World Cup

Participants will consist of 12 European clubs, including the 2021-24 Champions League winners, meaning Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester City have qualified so far. The remaining European clubs will be decided by a ranking based on the same four-year period.

The remaining 20 places will be filled by six clubs from South America, including the 2021-2024 Copa Libertadores winners; four from the North American, Central American and Caribbean confederations, i.e. the 2021-24 Concacaf Champions League winners; four clubs each from Africa and Asia, also based on Champions League winners; one club from Oceania - the highest ranked club among the 2021-24 Champions League winners; and one club from the host country.

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Several events in the USA

The United States will also host the 2024 Copa América and co-host the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and Canada. FIFA has yet to confirm the host cities for the 2025 Club World Cup, but it can be assumed that the list will mostly coincide with the list of venues selected for the 2026 World Cup.

The FIFA president spoke in superlatives about the innovative idea: The 2025 Club World Cup will be the pinnacle of men's football. With the necessary infrastructure and huge local interest, the United States is the ideal host to launch this new tournament. Indeed, the USA seems to be a great choice, but will the final expanded Club World Cup be a success in terms of sport? It means even more matches per year and a longer season for the best footballers in the world.

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