February 14, (THEWILL) – In a major announcement on Tuesday, FIFA revealed that this year’s Club World Cup will be hosted by Saudi Arabia from December 12 to 22.
The tournament, which will feature Champions League winners from around the world and the Copa Libertadores champions, will retain its seven-team format. The decision was made by the FIFA council, who “unanimously appointed” the Saudi Arabian Football Federation to host the event.
The Club World Cup is an opportunity for Saudi Arabia to showcase its capabilities as a host nation and boost its reputation on the international stage. The country has been pushing to be recognised as a top destination for major sporting events and has invested heavily in sports like golf and boxing.
In addition, there have been reports of a potential World Cup bid from Saudi Arabia in conjunction with Egypt and Greece. Yet, the decision to award the Club World Cup to Saudi Arabia has been met with criticism from human rights groups. They have accused the country of using major sporting events to “sportswash” its international reputation, despite its poor record on issues such as women’s rights and LGBTQ rights.
There was also strong opposition when it was reported that the Visit Saudi tourism authority would be a sponsor of this year’s Women’s World Cup, hosted by Australia and New Zealand. Despite these concerns, FIFA has given the green light for the Club World Cup to be held in Saudi Arabia this December.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
