FIFA Confirms 12 Stadiums for Revamped Club World Cup
FIFA has officially announced the 12 stadiums that will host the inaugural edition of the revamped Club World Cup in the United States next summer.
The tournament, which will feature 32 teams from around the globe, will be a major milestone for club football. Despite recent concerns about player workload and logistical challenges, FIFA has successfully secured the venues for this prestigious competition.
Europe will be represented by 12 clubs – Real Madrid, Chelsea, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter, Porto, Benfica, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Atletico Madrid and Salzburg – but prospects of the tournament continuing are dim. in doubt in recent weeks.
Prominent players have publicly discussed the idea of ​​going on strike in a row due to the ridiculous number of games they have to appear in, while logistical problems have threatened to derail FIFA’s glamorous plans for the competition. But late on Saturday, FIFA cleared a major hurdle by announcing the 12 venues that will host the matches, with the majority of venues on the US East Coast.
New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, which has a capacity of 82,500 and will host the FIFA World Cup final, will also host the Club World Cup final.
Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium (74,860), Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Arena (71,000), Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field (69,879), Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium (64,760) and Orlando’s Camping World Stadium (60,219 ) are other major stadiums on the East Coast. , while the Western Pacific region will also feature the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles (89,702) and Lumen Field in Seattle (68,740).
Four lower capacity stadiums will also be used – Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando (25,500), Geodis Park in Nashville (30,109), TQL Stadium in Cincinnati (26,000) and Audi Field in Washington DC (20,000).
Speaking at the confirmation event, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “Soccer is the most popular sport on the planet and a new era of club football will begin in 2025, when FIFA will introduce the largest, most inclusive and merit-based global club. competition right here in the United States.
“The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 will offer 12 fantastic stadiums where great players from the 32 best clubs in the world will write a new chapter in global football history.”
The draw for the group stage will take place in December.
