Get ready, America: The FIFA Club World Cup is coming to the United States in 2025.
The sport's world governing body made the announcement Friday, tabbing the US to host the tournament featuring the top clubs from each confederation. The field will be expanded to 32 teams for the first time that same year.
As winners of last year's Concacaf Champions League, the Seattle Sounders will have one of Concacaf’s four spots designated for 2025. An additional spot is given to the host nation, theoretically guaranteeing at least one more MLS team will participate in the competition.
“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,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in an official statement.
“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 United States, which co-hosts the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico, will now take center stage a year earlier than that as well, with recent UEFA Champions League winners Chelsea FC, Real Madrid and Manchester City among the clubs already confirmed for the 2025 Club World Cup.
Set to take place in June and July of that year, the competition will also feature the best teams from South America, Africa, Asia and Oceania.
In addition to the Sounders, Concacaf will also be represented by Liga MX sides CF Monterrey and Club León, respective winners of the 2021 and 2023 CCL – which has been rebranded Concacaf Champions Cup ahead of the 2024 tournament.
Should a club win the Concacaf Champions Cup title twice in the 2021-24 period of competitions, then the next best team in the FIFA rankings would qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup, with further details of the ranking system to be communicated at a later date.
By confederation: 2025 FIFA Club World Cup spots
- Asia (AFC) - 4
- Africa (CAF) - 4
- North and Central America, Caribbean (Concacaf) - 4
- South America (Conmebol) - 6
- Oceania (OFC) - 1
- Europe (UEFA) - 12
- Host country TBD - 1
- TOTAL: 32 teams
