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The FIFA Council has unanimously appointed the United States as the host of the new and expanded 32-team FIFA Club World Cup that is due to take place in 2025, at its meeting held by video conference from the Home of FIFA.
The host selection process took into consideration the infrastructure and service requirements, as well as broader strategic objectives for the tournament.
The decision was reached based on the United States’ position as a proven leader in staging global events and because it would allow FIFA to maximise synergies with the delivery of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to the benefit of both tournaments and the development of football in the North American region. As a next step, FIFA will engage with the relevant stakeholders to finalise the dates, venues and match schedule of this new tournament.
“The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup 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,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino. “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 slot allocation per confederation and the key principles of access were already confirmed by the FIFA Council earlier this year.
2030 FIFA World Cup bidding process
To ensure additional consultation with all key stakeholders, in relation to the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which will mark the centenary of men’s football’s showpiece tournament, the FIFA Council agreed to postpone the formal launch of the bidding process. Therefore, the relevant Bidding Regulations will be presented for approval at the next FIFA Council meeting, due to take place in September/October 2023, with the bidding process to be officially launched thereafter. The expected appointment of the host(s) by the FIFA Congress will also move from Q3 2024 to Q4 2024.
The FIFA Council also approved the Overview of Hosting Requirements for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which was prepared by the FIFA administration to allow all interested member associations to better understand the requirements for hosting the competition, including with regard to the required infrastructure, the legal framework that must be established and the environmental and social objectives that should be pursued.
Regulations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Competition approved
The FIFA Council also approved the Regulations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Competition, which kicks off in September 2023.
“With 48 teams participating in the next FIFA World Cup, the tournament will have an unprecedented impact on world football, especially as more nations will have the opportunity to secure their place to shine on the global stage,” said President Infantino.
Hosts of FIFA Congress and tournaments
Additionally, the FIFA Council confirmed that the 74th FIFA Congress, due to take place on May 17, 2024, will be hosted in Bangkok, Thailand.
The Council also appointed Indonesia as the host of the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup, Colombia as the host of the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, the Dominican Republic as the host of the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and Uzbekistan as the host of the 2024 FIFA Futsal World Cup. The time frame for the respective competitions will be confirmed in due course.
The dates of the 2023 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, which is due to take place in the United Arab Emirates, were moved from November 16-26, 2023 to February 15–25, 2024.
