FIFA President Gianni Infantino Tours Seattle Ahead of Club World Cup 2025

Mumbai, October 16: Seattle's Lumen Field will host six games during next year's Club World Cup, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said. The Seattle Sounders, which earned a spot in the competition by winning the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League, will host all three of their group matches at their home stadium. Three other matches will also be played at Lumen Field, one of 12 stadiums that will host a total of 63 games during the tournament. The event, which is now set to be played every four years, will include an expanded field of 32 teams from FIFA's six soccer confederations. Lionel Messi Scores Three Goals As Argentina Wins Over Bolivia in FIFA World Cup 2026 CONMEBOL Qualifiers: Brazil Tops Peru.

"I arrived yesterday and visited Lumen Field. Great arena, very special arena which has a special soul, a special heart inside. You can feel it when you are in some stadiums, they don't have to be the biggest or the most special. This one is very special." Infantino said on Tuesday.

The tournament is set to start on June 15 and run through July 13, with the final set for New Jersey's MetLife Stadium — also the site of the 2026 World Cup final. So far, the Club World Cup has drawn no major US sponsors and there is not a media rights deal in place.

Infantino was set to meet Tuesday with local elected officials, representatives of the Seattle Sounders and the National Women's Soccer League team, the Seattle Reign, as well as leadership for Seattle's 2026 World Cup organizing committee. Seattle has also been picked as a host city for the men's World Cup in 2026. Lumen Field will host six matches for that event. Antonio Sanabria Scores Brace As Paraguay Secures Win Over Venezuela in FIFA World Cup 2026 CONMEBOL Qualifiers.

"This will be, for me, part of the legacy we want to leave as well. We're not just here to organise tournaments and events, but we are here to grow the game to make it become No. 1 not just around the world but also in this country."  Infantino said.

Adrian Hanauer, the majority owner of the Sounders, said a temporary grass field would be used for the Club World Cup. Lumen Field, also home to the NFL's Seattle Seahawks, has atrificial turf. When the dates for the Club World Cup were announced, global players' union FIFPRO criticised FIFA for not considering player workloads in scheduling.

On Monday, the European division of FIFPRO and the 33-nation European Leagues group filed a formal complaint with the European Commission on competition grounds, accusing FIFA of failing to consult properly on its decisions.

The European Commission in Brussels is the executive arm of the 27-nation European Union and can intervene on breaches of competition law.

Twelve teams from Europe will be included in the Club World Cup. They are Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, Benfica, Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Juventus, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Porto, Real Madrid and Salzburg. Brazil 4–0 Peru, FIFA World Cup 2026 CONMEBOL Qualifiers: Raphinha's Brace, Andreas Pereira and Luiz Henrique Goals Helps Earn Selecao Canarinho Three Points.

Other teams that have qualified include Boca Juniors, Flamengo, Fluminense, Palmeiras and River Plate from South America; Leon, Monterrey, Pachuca and the Sounders from North America; Al Ahly, Esperance, Mamelodi Sundowns and Wydad from Africa; Al-Hilal, Al Ain, Ulsan and Urawa from Asia; and Auckland City from Oceania.

Another American team will qualify for the tournament but FIFA has not specified the process for making the choice, leaving open the possibility it could be Lionel Messi's club, Inter Miami.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)