The United States government is currently engaged in discussions with FIFA regarding significant alterations to the Club World Cup, with the USA emerging as the likely host for the 2029 edition of the tournament. FIFA President Gianni Infantino is directly involved in these high-level talks.
A central ambition for FIFA is to expand the Club World Cup to a 48-team format by 2029, a move reportedly supported by major European clubs. Alongside this expansion, a potential shift from a summer to a winter schedule for the tournament is also under consideration, according to The Guardian.
A lucrative prospect for FIFA
The prospect of another major North American tournament, following the successful co-hosting of the expanded 2026 World Cup by the USA, Canada, and Mexico, represents the most lucrative option for FIFA. The organization’s aggressive pricing strategy for the 2026 World Cup proved successful, with the majority of matches selling out. FIFA expects to surpass its revenue target of $11 billion for the 2026 World Cup, having already sold 6.5 million tickets.
The financial success of FIFA’s events in the region is evident. The 2025 Club World Cup, which trialled a dynamic ticketing pricing model, generated an impressive $411 million from ticket sales and hospitality. Andrew Giuliani, chairman of Donald Trump’s World Cup taskforce, highlighted the growing demand for football in the country, stating, “Soccer is no longer a future American story. It’s happening right now. There’s just so much demand to come to the United States to watch the World Cup.”
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The American hosting precedent
The USA has a strong track record as a host for major FIFA tournaments. The country was unanimously appointed by the FIFA Council in June 2023 to host the expanded 2025 Club World Cup without a formal bidding process. Furthermore, an unopposed joint bid from the US, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica to host the 2031 Women’s World Cup is anticipated to be ratified by FIFA this year.
While the USA appears to be in a strong position, other nations have expressed interest in hosting the 2029 Club World Cup, including the Brazilian Football Confederation and Qatar. A decision on the 2029 hosts is expected next year, likely after the FIFA presidential election in April. FIFA has not conducted a vote among its members to determine the hosts of its major tournaments since 2018.
The extent of White House or Donald Trump’s World Cup taskforce involvement in the 2029 Club World Cup discussions remains unclear. However, the close relationship between FIFA and the US government has been previously illustrated. The Guardian reported on the Folarin Balogun affair, where Donald Trump revealed he asked FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review Balogun’s sending-off during the USA’s last-32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina. Subsequently, FIFA’s disciplinary committee suspended Balogun’s one-match ban, allowing him to play in the last-16 defeat to Belgium.
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