Gianni Infantino Visits Seattle Ahead of Club World Cup 2025
- Seattle's Lumen Field will host six matches during the Club World Cup in 2025, including all three group matches for the Seattle Sounders.
- The tournament will feature an expanded format with 32 teams from FIFA's six confederations, including 12 from Europe.
- Despite the excitement, the event faces challenges such as a lack of sponsors and concerns over player workloads.
In the United States, FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced that Seattle's Lumen Field will host six matches during the upcoming Club World Cup, scheduled from June 15 to July 13, 2025. The Seattle Sounders, who qualified by winning the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League, will play all three of their group matches at their home stadium. The tournament will feature an expanded format with 32 teams from FIFA's six confederations, including 12 teams from Europe. Infantino expressed excitement for the event, encouraging fans to create a vibrant atmosphere, aiming to break the World Cup noise record at Lumen Field. The Club World Cup will be one of the major events leading up to the 2026 World Cup, for which Seattle has also been selected as a host city. Despite the enthusiasm, the tournament faces challenges, including a lack of major U.S. sponsors and no media rights deal established yet. Infantino's visit included meetings with local officials and representatives from the Seattle Sounders and the National Women’s Soccer League team, the Seattle Reign. Additionally, the European players' union FIFPRO has raised concerns regarding player workloads due to the scheduling of the tournament, filing a formal complaint with the European Commission. This highlights ongoing tensions between FIFA and various stakeholders in the football community regarding the management of international competitions.