(Reuters) – 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 last week to assess ongoing preparations for the tournament.
“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,” President of SAFF Yasser Al Misehal said.
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.
(Reporting by Anita Kobylinska in Gdansk; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
