The final of next year’s expanded Club World Cup will take place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced yesterday.

The stadium, which is home to the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets, had already been chosen as one of the venues for the 2026 World Cup.

The first edition of the expanded 32-club tournament will kick off on 15th June and conclude at MetLife Stadium on 13th July.

A total of 12 venues will be used for the tournament, with only two located on the West Coast – the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, near Los Angeles, and Lumen Field in Seattle.

The tournament will coincide with the regional CONCACAF Gold Cup, which will mainly be held on the West Coast.

Other venues set to host matches include Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta), Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte), TQL Stadium (Cincinnati), Hard Rock Stadium (Miami), GEODIS Park (Nashville), Camping World Stadium (Orlando), Inter&Co Stadium (Orlando), Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia), and Audi Field (Washington, D.C.).

The draw for the tournament will be held in December, with 30 of the 32 places already secured through qualification.

The Club World Cup will feature title-winning teams from each of FIFA’s continental confederations.

Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich are among the 12 European teams that have qualified, while Argentina’s River Plate and Boca Juniors, as well as Brazil’s Flamengo, are among the six South American teams.

“This new FIFA competition is the only true example in global club football of real solidarity and inclusivity, allowing the best clubs from Africa, Asia, Central and North America, and Oceania to compete against the powerhouses of Europe and South America in an incredible new World Cup which will significantly impact the growth of club football and talent globally,” said Infantino.

The FIFA president announced the venues on stage at the Global Citizen Festival in Central Park, New York.

FIFA also announced a four-year partnership with Global Citizen to support their anti-poverty initiatives. As part of the agreement, Global Citizen will produce the half-time show for the 2026 World Cup final.

Key Test

The tournament will serve as a crucial test ahead of the 2026 World Cup itself, with a focus on security measures following crowd issues at this year’s Copa America matches held in Charlotte and Miami.

FIFA has yet to announce any broadcasting deals or sponsorship contracts for the tournament, which has faced some opposition within the football community.

FIFPro and the European Leagues body jointly filed a complaint with the European Commission against FIFA over the introduction of the tournament into the international match calendar.

Opponents of the new format argue that it adds to an already congested schedule and increases the workload on players.

The previous version of the Club World Cup featured seven teams in a knockout format and was won by Manchester City, who defeated Brazil’s Fluminense in the final held in Saudi Arabia.

FIFA intends to hold the expanded tournament every four years, although a host nation for the 2029 edition has yet to be confirmed.