KC could play host to top international soccer teams a year before the 2026 World Cup

Pete Grathoff
·2 min read

From 2001 to 2017, the now-defunct FIFA Confederations Cup was seen as a way for a World Cup host nation to test its preparedness.

The tournament featured the World Cup host nation, the defending World Cup champion and the champions of each federation (UEFA, CONCACAF, etc).

Here are the host nations during that 16-year span:

  • 2001: South Korea and Japan

  • 2003: France

  • 2005: Germany

  • 2009: South Africa

  • 2013: Brazil

  • 2017: Russia

With the exception of France in 2003, those host nations were home to the World Cup the year after hosting the Confederations Cup.

Despite initial plans to have the Confederations Cup in Qatar in 2021, FIFA said it would move the competition away from that nation, but instead did away with the tournament.

In its place is the FIFA Club World Cup, which the soccer governing body announced last week would be played in the United States in 2025.

“The decision was reached based on the United States’ position as a proven leader in staging global events and because it would allow FIFA to maximize synergies with the delivery of the FIFA World Cup 2026, to the benefit of both tournaments and the development of football in the North American region,” FIFA wrote in a news release. “As a next step, FIFA will engage with the relevant stakeholders to finalize the dates, venues and match schedule of this new tournament.”

The plan

FIFA said 32 club teams will take part in the competition (12 from Europe, six from South America; four each from CONCACAF, Asia and Africa; one from the Oceanic federation and one from the United States).

ESPN reported “UEFA Champions League winners Real Madrid, Copa Libertadores champions Flamengo and Seattle Sounders, the first CONCACAF Champions League winner from the United States, will take part in the competition.”

The format has yet to be determined, but with that many teams taking part, it would be logical for the 11 U.S. host cities of the 2026 World Cup to have games in their stadiums.

In addition to Kansas City, the other cities are Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle.

The Club World Cup would be a great dress rehearsal for the 2026 World Cup in each city.

“The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 will be the pinnacle of elite professional men’s club football, and with the required infrastructure in place together with a massive local interest, the United States is the ideal host to kick off this new, global tournament,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a news release.

“With some of the world’s top clubs already qualified, fans from every continent will be bringing their passion and energy to the United States in two years’ time for this significant milestone in our mission to make football truly global.”