FIFA to nominate eight US host stadiums for controversial 2025 Club World Cup

FIFA is set to announce agreements for eight stadiums to host the Club World Cup, the strongest indication yet that the controversial new tournament will go ahead as planned next summer.

According to The Guardian, Pasadena, Seattle, Atlanta, Orlando, Miami, Philadelphia and two stadiums in New Jersey have been selected by FIFA as host stadiums. FIFA is currently in the final stages of contract negotiations with the stadiums.

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FIFA is plagued by rumours that the 32-team Club World Cup may have to be postponed. Nine months before the start of the World Cup, there are still no confirmations about venues, sponsorship deals, prize money or the sale of TV rights.

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti caused a diplomatic storm in June by saying the Champions League holders would “decline” the invitation due to the lack of financial rewards, while Premier League chief executive Richard Masters claimed players could boycott the tournament over burnout concerns.

Confirmation of the venues will be a major step forward for Fifa, who reportedly hope to have some of them announced next week. The process has been complicated by Fifa’s decision to select a range of different stadium sizes, as the 32 teams that have qualified for the inaugural Club World Cup will attract significantly different fan bases. European heavyweights such as Real Madrid and Manchester City are set to draw huge crowds, while other qualifiers such as ES Tunis and Al Hilal may prove less popular.

As a result, FIFA has selected a combination of NFL and MLS stadiums, with New Jersey getting two venues in the form of the 87,157-seat MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford and the 25,000-seat Red Bull Arena in nearby Harrison. In a surprise move, given that the Concacaf Gold Cup is set to take place in a similar area at the same time, there will be two west coast venues: the Rose Bowl in Pasadena and Lumen Field in Seattle.

FIFA is also in advanced discussions with Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium and Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium as possible venues for the competition, as well as the smaller Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, home to MLS club Orlando City SC. At least one more stadium could make the final list.

FIFA has yet to decide which stadium will host the final and could hold a formal tender process between the host cities. The world governing body’s next big challenge is to sell TV rights to the tournament after a proposed global streaming deal with Apple TV collapsed earlier this year.

A formal tender process for TV rights for the 2025 and 2029 Club World Cups was launched in July, but FIFA has yet to receive any bids matching its valuation. FIFA president Gianni Infantino and ECA chairman Nasser al-Khelaifi held a video conference with media executives earlier today in an attempt to drum up interest.

FIFA declined to comment.