Expanded finals next year Club World Cup will be metlife stadium exist New Jersey, FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced Saturday.
The stadium is home to the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets and has been selected as a venue for the 2026 World Cup.
The first tournament, expanded to 32 clubs, will begin on June 15 and conclude on July 13 at MetLife.
The tournament will use a total of 12 venues, only two of which are on the West Coast – the Rose Bowl in Pasadena near Los Angeles and Lumen Field in Seattle.
The event is held concurrently with the regional CONCACAF Gold Cup, which is played primarily on the West Coast.
Other venues that will host games include: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta), U.S. Bank Stadium (Charlotte), TQL Stadium (Cincinnati), Hard Rock Stadium (Miami), Joda Park (Nashville), Camping World Stadium (Orlando), Inter Milan Stadium (Orlando), Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia) and Audi Field (Washington, D.C.).
The draw for the event will be held in December, and 30 of the 32 participating places have been determined through the qualifying process.
The Club World Cup will be contested by champion teams from each FIFA continental league.
Real Madrid, Manchester City and Bayern Munich are among 12 European teams that have qualified, while Argentina’s River Plate, Boca Juniors and Brazil’s Flamengo are among six South American teams.
“This new international football competition is the only true example of true unity and inclusion in global club football, allowing the best clubs from Africa, Asia, North and Central America and Oceania to compete against Europe and the United States in an incredible new World Cup. The strong teams in South America will greatly affect the development of global club football and talent.
The President of FIFA has announced the venue for the Global Citizen Festival in New York’s Central Park.
FIFA also announced a four-year partnership with Global Citizen to support their anti-poverty measures. As part of the deal, Global Citizen will produce the half-time show for the 2026 World Cup final.
critical test
The tournament will be seen as a key test ahead of the 2026 World Cup, with safety concerns taking center stage following spectator issues at Copa America matches at Charlotte and Miami stadiums in July.
FIFA has yet to announce any broadcast deals or sponsorship deals, and the competition has faced some opposition during the tournament.
FIFpro and the European federation bodies jointly complained to the European Commission about FIFA’s inclusion of the tournament in the international calendar.
Opponents of the new tournament say it adds to an already crowded schedule and increases players’ workload.
The last Club World Cup involved seven teams in a knockout format, with Manchester City winning the final by defeating Brazilian team Fluminense in Saudi Arabia.
FIFA plans to hold an expanded tournament every four years, but a host has not yet been chosen for the 2029 event.
