FIFA has announced the names of 12 stadiums that will host the revamped Club World Cup in the United States next year. The tournament, scheduled from June 15 to July 13, 2025, will be the first edition of the expanded competition, featuring 32 teams.

Host stadiums

Matches will be played across the United States, with the final set to take place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Other venues include: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta), TQL Stadium (Cincinnati), Hard Rock Stadium (Miami), Geodis Park (Nashville), Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte), Camping World Stadium (Orlando), Inter&Co Stadium (Orlando), Rose Bowl Stadium (Los Angeles), Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia), Lumen Field (Seattle), and Audi Field (Washington, D.C.).

© Grzegorz Kaliciak | Hard Rock Stadium

A completely new version of the tournament

Chelsea, Manchester City, and Real Madrid have automatically qualified for the revamped tournament as the most recent Champions League winners over the last four-year cycle. Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan, Porto, and Benfica will also participate, thanks to their rankings. Additionally, six clubs from South America and 12 teams from Asia, Africa, and North America will compete, with one spot reserved for a team from Oceania and one for a U.S. club as the host nation.

In recent years, the FIFA Club World Cup was an annual tournament held mid-season with six teams from seven confederations around the world. In 2025, a new era in club football will begin, as FIFA hosts the biggest, most inclusive, and merit-based global club competition right here in the United States, said FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

© Grzegorz Kaliciak | Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Players threatening to strike?

However, the federation's decision to expand the tournament has drawn criticism from clubs and players, especially after UEFA extended the group stage of the Champions League and Europa League by two additional matches. The global players' union Fifpro and European Leagues, representing 39 leagues and 1,130 clubs from 33 countries, jointly filed a complaint with the European Commission in July, protesting against FIFA’s abuse of dominance in football.

Two months earlier, FIFA dismissed claims that the plans to expand the Club World Cup were not consulted with Fifpro and the World Leagues Association. Manchester City midfielder Rodri, who is sidelined for the rest of the season due to a torn ACL, warned weeks ago that players are close to striking due to the packed match schedule.