The first Club World Cup with 32 teams will be held in the United States
The first Club World Cup with 32 teams will be held in the United States
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| USA will now host the FIFA World Cup in 2026(Twitter) |
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be hosted by three countries in North America: the United States, Canada, and Mexico. In preparation for hosting the global competition, the United States will also have the opportunity to host another World Cup before the 2026 edition. The hosting rights for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup have been awarded to the United States, where, just like the first time, a total of 32 clubs will participate.
This information was announced in FIFA's press release yesterday.
USA will now host the FIFA World Cup in 2026
Through the 2025 Club World Cup, the United States has secured the opportunity to host three major football tournaments in a span of three years. The 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2025 Club World Cup will be preceded by the Copa America, which will be held there next year.
The FIFA Club World Cup was established in 2000. However, due to the lack of expected success at the global level, there had been discussions to change its format for several years. A decision was made in February of last year that starting in 2025, the Club World Cup will feature 32 teams. Among them, 12 clubs will come from Europe, 6 from South America, and 4 each from Africa, Asia, and North/Central America. The remaining two spots will go to an Oceania nation and a guest country.
It has also been decided that from 2021 to 2024, the continental champions from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America will secure their places in the 2025 edition.
As per this criteria, the following teams have already secured their tickets for the 2025 Club World Cup: Real Madrid, Chelsea, Manchester City, Palmeiras, Flamengo, Monterrey (Mexico), León (Mexico), Al Ahly (Egypt), Wydad Casablanca (Morocco), Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan), and Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia). The remaining teams will depend on the 2024 continental competitions and rankings.
In the last edition of the Club World Cup held in Morocco, a total of 7 teams, including the continental champions from 6 continents, participated. At the end of the next year, Saudi Arabia will also have an equal number of teams participating.
