By El-ameen Ibrahim
FIFA has unveiled the 12 stadiums in the United States that will host the revamped Club World Cup, scheduled for 15 June to 13 July 2025.
This will be the first edition of the expanded 32-team tournament, with matches taking place across several US cities.
The final is set to be held at the iconic MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, just five miles from New York City.
Other selected venues include: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Geodis Park in Nashville, Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Rose Bowl Stadium in Los Angeles, Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Lumen Field in Seattle, and Audi Field in Washington DC.
From Europe, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Real Madrid have secured automatic qualification as recent Champions League winners. Bayern Munich, Paris St-Germain, Inter Milan, Porto, and Benfica will also participate based on their co-efficient rankings.
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The rest of the tournament will feature six South American clubs, 12 teams from Asia, Africa, and North America, alongside one club from Oceania and a team from the United States as the host nation.
Previously, the Club World Cup was a smaller, mid-season event featuring six clubs from different global confederations. FIFA’s expansion of the competition marks a new era in club football. According to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, “In 2025, a new era for club football will kick off when FIFA stages the greatest, most inclusive and merit-based global club competition right here in the United States.”
However, the expanded format has faced criticism. Clubs and players have raised concerns, particularly after UEFA increased the number of matches in the Champions League and Europa League group stages.
In July, the global players’ union, Fifpro, and the European Leagues body, representing 39 leagues and over 1,000 clubs, lodged a complaint with the European Commission, accusing FIFA of “abuse of dominance” in football.
FIFA, in response, rejected claims that it had not consulted Fifpro and the World Leagues Association on its plans to expand the Club World Cup.
Additionally, Manchester City midfielder Rodri, who is currently sidelined with a season-ending injury, warned earlier this month that players might strike due to the increasing number of fixtures.
