The United States is exploring the possibility of hosting the 2029 Club World Cup, aiming to leverage the commercial and sporting achievements from this summer’s World Cup. FIFA has engaged in discussions with US officials regarding the plans for the upcoming tournament, although the co-hosts of the previous World Cup have yet to formally commit to a bid, as the selection process details remain unconfirmed.
There is uncertainty surrounding the involvement of the White House or Donald Trump’s World Cup taskforce, led by Andrew Giuliani, who praised the success of this summer’s tournament. Giuliani remarked, “Soccer is no longer a future American story,”
FIFA has achieved remarkable success by selling 6.5 million tickets for this World Cup, nearly doubling its sales record, and is predicted to surpass its revenue goal of $11 billion (£8.2 billion). This success makes the prospect of hosting another tournament in the US appealing, especially given the strong ties with the White House.
Future Tournaments and Bidding Process
An unopposed joint bid from the US, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica to host the 2031 Women’s World Cup is expected to be ratified by FIFA this year. The close relationship between FIFA and the US government was highlighted recently by the Folarin Balogun incident, where Trump disclosed that he had asked FIFA President Gianni Infantino to reconsider the striker’s sending-off during the USA’s last-32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In an unprecedented move during a major tournament, FIFA’s disciplinary committee lifted the one-match ban on Balogun, allowing him to play in the last-16 match against Belgium. Although Trump is set to leave office in January 2029, he will still be in power when the decision on the Club World Cup hosting is made. FIFA has yet to announce the timing or process for selecting the 2029 hosts, but a decision is anticipated next year, likely following the FIFA presidential election in April.
Global Interest and Potential Complications
The United States was designated to host the expanded 2025 Club World Cup without a bidding process, with the FIFA Council unanimously deciding this in June 2023. Initially, it was expected that the 2029 tournament would be awarded to two of the 2030 World Cup hosts—most likely Spain and Morocco—but interest from other nations has emerged. The Brazilian Football Confederation has expressed its desire to host, and reports indicate interest from Qatar as well.
Since 2018, FIFA has not conducted a vote among its members to determine the hosts of its major tournaments. The joint bid from the US, Canada, and Mexico for this summer’s World Cup successfully outbid Morocco, which was later awarded the 2030 tournament along with Spain and Portugal. This tournament is also set to feature three centenary matches in South America.
FIFA’s plans to expand the Club World Cup to 48 teams in 2029, a move supported by major European clubs, presents a potentially complicated factor that could strengthen any US bid. Hosting another North American tournament would likely be the most financially beneficial option for FIFA, which has justified its aggressive pricing strategy for the current World Cup, with most matches selling out.
FIFA trialed a controversial dynamic pricing model at last year’s Club World Cup, generating $411 million (£307 million) in revenue from ticket sales and hospitality despite varying demand.
