The United States is actively considering the opportunity to host the 2029 Club World Cup, aiming to leverage the financial and sporting achievements from this summer’s World Cup. FIFA has initiated discussions with U.S. officials regarding plans for the 2029 event, although the co-hosts of the World Cup have yet to finalize a bid due to the lack of clarity surrounding the selection process.
Details regarding any involvement from the White House or Donald Trump’s World Cup taskforce, led by Andrew Giuliani, remain uncertain. Giuliani recently praised the triumph of this summer’s tournament, stating, “Soccer is no longer a future American story,”
FIFA has set a new sales record, distributing 6.5 million tickets for the current World Cup and is projected to surpass its revenue goal of $11 billion (£8.2 billion). This success makes it likely that FIFA would support the U.S. hosting another significant tournament, especially considering its connections with the U.S. government.
This year, a joint bid from the U.S., Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica to host the 2031 Women’s World Cup is expected to receive FIFA’s approval. The close relationship between FIFA and the U.S. government was highlighted recently when Trump disclosed that he had asked FIFA President Gianni Infantino to re-evaluate the sending-off of striker Folarin Balogun during the USA’s last-32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In a rare ruling during a major tournament, FIFA’s disciplinary committee lifted Balogun’s one-match suspension, allowing him to participate in Monday’s last-16 match against Belgium. Trump’s term is set to end in January 2029, just months before the Club World Cup, but he will still be in office when the host decision is made.
While FIFA has not yet announced the timeline or criteria for selecting the 2029 hosts, a decision is anticipated next year, likely post the FIFA presidential election in April. The USA was awarded the expanded 2025 Club World Cup without a bidding process, a unanimous decision made by the FIFA Council in June 2023.
There were expectations that the 2029 tournament would be awarded to two of the 2030 World Cup hosts, likely Spain and Morocco. However, interest from other regions is also notable, with the Brazilian Football Confederation expressing its desire to host and reports indicating Qatar’s interest as well.
Since 2018, FIFA has not conducted a vote among members to determine the hosts of its major tournaments. That year, the joint bid from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico secured the hosting of this summer’s World Cup, defeating a competing bid from Morocco, which subsequently won the 2030 tournament alongside Spain and Portugal. This future event will also feature three centenary matches in South America.
FIFA’s intention to expand the Club World Cup to 48 teams in 2029, with backing from major European clubs, could complicate matters but also enhance any U.S. bid. Another tournament in North America would represent the most profitable option for FIFA, which has validated its aggressive pricing strategy for the current World Cup, with most matches sold out.
FIFA implemented a controversial dynamic ticket pricing model at last year’s Club World Cup, which yielded $411 million (£307 million) in revenue from ticket sales and hospitality, despite varying demand.
