ZURICH: Saudi Arabia has been named the host of the FIFA Club World Cup 2023, scheduled to take place from December 12-22.
"In relation to the FIFA Club World Cup 2023, which is due to be played under the current format with 7 clubs, the FIFA Council unanimously appointed the Saudi Arabian Football Federation as tournament hosts from 12 to 22 December 2023," the FIFA said in a statement on Febraury 14 . The unanimous decision was made at a FIFA Council meeting. Saudi Arabia will be only the 6 host of the competition since its inception in 2000.
The Gulf country is also competing to host the first-ever Women's Asian Cup in 2026 after receiving the hosting rights for the Men's Asian Cup 2027 earlier this month.
The FIFA Council also authorised an expansion of the FIFA Club World Cup from 24 to 32 participants beginning in June 2025. Twelve European teams will compete, along with six teams from CONMEBOL; four teams each from CONCACAF, CAF, and the AFC; and two teams from the OFC and the hosts will participate.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 hosts, Canada, Mexico, and the United States, will automatically qualify as the tournament's joint hosts, and their slots will be subtracted from Concacaf's total allotment of six, the Council further confirmed.
The Kingdom has earlier hosted many football events several times, including the Italian and Spanish Super Cups, and it also won the hosting of the 2027 Asian Nations Cup and the 2034 Asian Games.
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