The 2023 Club World Cup will be held in Saudi Arabia. This was announced by the world football association FIFA after a council meeting.
One year after the World Cup in Qatar, the next country on the Persian Gulf will be able to hold a major football event from December 12th to 22nd. The decision was unanimous. The tournament will then take place in the current format with seven clubs including the European Champions League winners.
Saudi Arabia has been positioning itself as an organizer of major sporting events for years. Five-time world footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has been playing in the Saudi league since this year, and the country is also positioning itself to host the 2030 World Cup. Like its neighbor Qatar, Saudi Arabia has also been criticized for human rights violations. The relationship between the two countries has been complicated and marked by rivalry for years.
From 2025, the already decided and much criticized increase in the Club World Cup to 32 teams will apply. The field of participants should be composed as follows:
Europe will receive twelve starting places, South America six, Asia, Africa and the combination of North and Central America and the Caribbean four each, Oceania one. The host country is also firmly involved. It is not yet clear who will host the premiere. However, the tournament is scheduled to take place in June/July 2025.