FIFA have announced the first edition of the expanded 32-team Club World Cup will be held in the United States in 2025.
The event is just a year before the 2026 World Cup is hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, which will also be a larger competition including 48 teams.
“The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 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.
The tournament will have 12 teams from Europe, six from South America, four each from Asia, Africa and Concacaf, one Oceanic side and one from the host nation.
The 2023 edition of the Club World Cup has seven teams and will take place in Saudi Arabia from December 12-22.
FIFA’s decision to pack the schedule with yet more matches was greeted with anger by players’ union FIFPro.