Saudi Arabia to host 2023 FIFA Club World Cup

The 2023 Club World Cup will take place in Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah, soccer’s world governing body FIFA said on Monday.

The decision was made following a FIFA delegation visit to Jeddah to assess ongoing preparations for the tournament, which takes place from 12-22 December 2023. It will be the first time the FIFA Club World Cup is held in Saudi Arabia.

Yasser Al Misehal, President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, said: “We are delighted that Jeddah, with its state-of-the-art facilities and reputation for hosting major international sports events, has been selected as host city for the FIFA Club World Cup. Sport is a key driver of Saudi Arabia’s ongoing transformation under Vision 2030, which has established the Kingdom as one of the fastest growing and most exciting countries in world sport.

The FIFA delegation visit included detailed inspections of key infrastructure including the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium and the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, as well as the proposed training and accommodation facilities.

The tournament, which will be played from Dec. 12-22, will be held in Saudi Arabia for the first time, as previously announced in February.

The 2023 edition of the Club World Cup will be the last of current format — an annual competition with seven teams — which will be discontinued before its expansion to a 32-team event to first be held in 2025 in the United States.