**FIFA Announces 2025 International Club World Cup Finals in New Jersey**
Recently, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) announced that the final match of the 2025 International FIFA Club World Cup will be held on July 13 at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, with the entire tournament officially kicking off on June 15.
In a statement made by FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the Global Citizen Festival in Central Park, New York last week, he expressed that football is the most popular sport in the world, and 2025 will mark a new era for the sport. Infantino stated that FIFA will host the most inclusive and competitive global club tournament in history in the United States.
FIFA revealed the 12 host venues of the tournament on September 28, which will host this global event featuring 32 teams. Apart from New York and New Jersey, other host cities include Atlanta, Charlotte in North Carolina, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville in Tennessee, Orlando in Florida, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Washington D.C. The MetLife Stadium in New Jersey will also host the final match of the 2026 World Cup.
The draw for the opponents of each team will take place in December of this year, with the 32 teams being divided into 8 groups, each group consisting of 4 teams. The top two teams from each group will advance to the round of 16, with knockout matches from the round of 16 to the final.
Out of the 30 qualifying teams confirmed so far, most are from Europe and the Americas, with only two teams from South America and the United States yet to be determined. FIFA will announce further details in the future.
Due to the 2025 Gold Cup taking place on the West Coast of the United States from June 14 to July 6 next year, FIFA chose to schedule the majority of the World Cup matches on the East Coast to avoid scheduling conflicts. The Lumen Field in Seattle was also included as one of the host venues due to the Seattle Sounders FC qualifying for the tournament.
This tournament has garnered significant attention, with FIFA’s decisions sparking controversy. Entities like the English Premier League (PFA) and the International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPRO) have expressed concerns about the tight schedule potentially affecting the physical and mental health of players.
Infantino emphasized that the tournament will see top teams from Asia, Africa, North and Central America, and Oceania competing against strong teams from Europe and South America, which will have a significant impact on the development of world football and talent cultivation.