FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ will be the ideal opportunity to “bring people together” after revealing the 12 stadiums in the United States that will host the historic 32-team tournament alongside Global Citizen CEO Hugh Evans and one of the organisation’s ambassadors, actor Hugh Jackman, as well as DJ Khaled and presenter Gayle King.

The venues across the US that will stage the 63 games of the first edition of the new FIFA Club World Cup were unveiled to a large crowd at the Global Citizen Festival in Central Park, New York.

Mr Infantino told fans that the tournament will not only be the biggest football event ever held in the US, but it will also be an occasion for the beautiful game to unite the world with clubs representing all six global confederations competing for the trophy.

“Come, enjoy, have fun,” the FIFA President said. “Millions of fans will be coming. They will find that – actually, one of the things I found in America is that the stadiums here are really built for people to have fun, to enjoy, to spend time. They don’t just go and watch the game and leave, but they stay hours and hours and hours, and I think that’s exactly what we need.

“We need occasions to bring people together from all over the world. We will do that with the [FIFA] Club World Cup next year – the 32 best clubs from Africa, Asia, South America, North America and Europe, and Oceania. And 48 countries in the national team [FIFA] World Cup one year later. Bringing people together, bringing fans together – we will have 5 to 10 million people minimum who will come to these countries and to celebrate in peace football. That’s what we need.”

Mr Infantino later went to Times Square in downtown Manhattan to see the host cities be announced on giant screens in the iconic venue.

FIFA also announced a partnership with Global Citizen that means the international advocacy organisation, whose goal is to end extreme poverty, have been granted the rights to produce the first-ever half-time show, which will be held at the FIFA World Cup 26™ final in the New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, 19 July 2026.

The four-year partnership, which also includes the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, means football fans will be able to support Global Citizen via a series of initiatives which aim to positively change the lives of millions, such as ensuring children worldwide have access to education.

“If we join forces, we can really change the world in a positive way. We can amplify the messages of Global Citizen. We can work together on new initiatives,” the FIFA President explained.

“Global Citizen will produce the half-time show – it’s the first time that this happens – in the final here New York New Jersey in 2026, and we will come out with many, many other joint activities to unite, on one side, the number one sport in the world, and on the other side, an organisation which is doing incredible work for the world. We want to end extreme poverty. We want to educate. This is part of our DNA at FIFA and, strategically, I’m so happy and so proud that we’ve been able to conclude this partnership.

“To announce it here at Central Park with Global Citizen – we are a global organisation, an organisation full of global citizens as well – it’s really unique, it’s a very emotional moment and I’m really happy and proud for this partnership, and my thanks go to Global Citizen and to Hugh Evans and to everyone.”