The United States is showing interest in hosting the 2029 Club World Cup, aiming to leverage the commercial and sporting achievements of this summer’s World Cup. FIFA officials have engaged in discussions with U.S. representatives regarding plans for the event, although the co-hosts have not yet finalized a bid due to the absence of confirmed details about the selection process.
It’s uncertain if officials from the White House or Donald Trump’s World Cup task force, led by Andrew Giuliani, have participated in these talks. On Wednesday, Giuliani praised the success of the recently concluded tournament, stating, “Soccer is no longer a future American story,”
This year’s World Cup has seen FIFA almost double its previous ticket sales record, with 6.5 million tickets sold and revenue expected to surpass $11 billion (£8.2 billion). Given this success, FIFA would likely welcome another tournament in the U.S., particularly due to its connections with the current administration.
A joint bid from the U.S., Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica to host the 2031 Women’s World Cup is anticipated to be ratified by FIFA within this year. The relationship between FIFA and the U.S. government was recently highlighted by the Folarin Balogun incident, where Trump reportedly asked FIFA President Gianni Infantino to reconsider Balogun’s red card during the U.S.’s match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In a rare decision during a major tournament, FIFA’s disciplinary committee lifted the one-match suspension, allowing Balogun to participate in the last-16 match against Belgium. Trump is scheduled to leave office in January 2029, just months before the Club World Cup, but will still be in office when the host decision is finalized. FIFA has yet to announce the timeline or process for determining the 2029 hosts, though an announcement is anticipated next year, likely following the FIFA presidential election in April.
The USA was selected to host the expanded 2025 Club World Cup without a bidding process, a decision made unanimously by the FIFA Council in June 2023. There had been expectations that the 2029 tournament would be awarded to two of the 2030 World Cup hosts, likely Spain and Morocco, but interest has emerged from other nations as well. The Brazilian Football Confederation has expressed a desire to host, and reports indicate that Qatar is also interested.
Since 2018, FIFA has not conducted a vote among its members to determine the hosts for major tournaments. That year, the joint bid from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico won the rights to this summer’s World Cup over a competing bid from Morocco, which later received the 2030 tournament alongside Spain and Portugal. This upcoming tournament will also include three centennial matches in South America.
FIFA’s ambition to expand the Club World Cup to 48 teams in 2029, which has the backing of major European clubs, could complicate the situation but may also enhance any U.S. bid. Another tournament in North America would likely be the most lucrative option for FIFA, which has seen success with its aggressive pricing strategy for this World Cup, with nearly all matches sold out.
FIFA tested a controversial dynamic ticket pricing model at last year’s Club World Cup, generating $411 million (£307 million) in revenue from ticket sales and hospitality despite varying demand.
