Saudi Arabia chosen to host next Club World Cup

Seven-team event will run from December 12 to 22

Al Hilal players and staff arrive in Riyadh after finishing runners-up at the Fifa Club World Cup. Reuters

Al Hilal's Salem Al Dawsari on stage after arriving in Riyadh. Reuters

Al Hilal fans cheers on the team after their return to Riyadh. Reuters

Al Hilal's Andre Carrillo speaks on stage after arriving in Riyadh. Reuters

Al Hilal fans cheer on the team on their return. Reuters

Al Hilal's Moussa Marega and Nasser Aldawsari on stage after arriving in Riyadh. Reuters

Al Hilal's Jang Hyun-soo speaks on stage after arriving in Riyadh. Reuters

Al Hilal's Luciano Vietto speaks on stage after arriving in Riyadh. Reuters

Al Hilal coach Ramon Diaz speaks on stage after arriving in Riyadh. Reuters

Al Hilal players on stage after arriving back in Riyadh from the Fifa Club World Cup. Photo: Al Hilal

Al Hilal players and staff step off the plane in Riyadh after returning from the Fifa Club World Cup. Photo: Al Hilal

Andre Carrillo and Luciano Vietto walk from the plane after returning to Riyadh. Photo: Al Hilal

A fireworks display in Riyadh to celebrate Al Hilal's runner-up finish at the Fifa Club World Cup. Photo: Al Hilal

Al Hilal players on stage after returning to Riyadh from the Fifa Club World Cup. Photo: Al Hilal

Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal and Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, Minister of Sport, welcomes Al Hilal back to Riyadh. Photo: Al Hilal

Al Hilal players on stage in Riyadh. Photo: Al Hilal

Al Hilal supporters cheer the players after their return to Riyadh. Photo: Al Hilal

Saudi Arabia has been chosen to host the Club World Cup in December.

The Fifa Council, made up of representatives from all the continental confederations, unanimously selected the Middle East country as hosts for the seven-team event, which is scheduled to run from December 12 to 22.

Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal, the current Asian champions, were beaten 5-3 by European counterparts Real Madrid in Saturday’s final in Morocco.

Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia was selected by the Asian Football Confederation to host the 2027 Asian Cup.

The country has previously hosted sporting events including this year's Spanish Super Cup, 2022's world title fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua and the Riyadh Grand Prix.

Saudi Arabia has also been reported to be bidding to co-host the 2030 World Cup with Egypt and Greece, alongside rival confirmed bids from Spain, Portugal and Ukraine and one from four South American nations.

The Council confirmed the Fifa Congress would make a decision on who would host those finals in the third quarter of next year.

Real Madrid beat Al Hilal in Club World Cup final

Karim Benzema kisses the trophy after Real Madrid beat Al Hilal to win the Fifa Club World Cup at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco on February 11, 2023. Reuters

Real Madrid players celebrate with the Fifa Club World Cup trophy. Reuters

Al Hilal players pose with their second-place medals after the Fifa Club World Cup final. Reuters

Winners of Fifa Club World awards Federico Valverde, Vinicius Junior, and Luciano Vietto pose for a photo. EPA

Al Hilal's Moussa Marega shoots at goal against Real Madrid. Reuters

Karim Benzema and Lucas Vazquez celebrate with the Club World Cup trophy. EPA

Karim Benzema and Antonio Rudiger celebrate with the Club World Cup trophy. EPA

Karim Benzema celebrates scoring Real Madrid's third goal against Al Hilal. Reuters

Karim Benzema runs with the ball during the Fifa Club World Cup final. AFP

Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior on the ball during the Fifa Club World Cup final. EPA

Vinicius Junior celebrates with teammate Daniel Ceballos after scoring Real Madrid's fifth goal. EPA

Federico Valverde shoots to score Real Madrid's fourth goal. AFP

Al Hilal's Mohamed Kanno in action against Federico Valverde and Luka Modric. EPA

Luciano Vietto reacts after scoring Al Hilal's third goal. EPA

Luciano Vietto scores Al Hilal's third goal against Real Madrid. AP

A decision on the hosts for the 2027 Women’s World Cup will be taken by Fifa Congress in the second quarter of next year.

The Fifa Council also confirmed the new-look, 32-team Club World Cup starting in the summer of 2025 would feature 12 European teams. Fifa president Gianni Infantino first revealed plans for the new competition on the eve of last year’s World Cup final in Qatar.

The Council also confirmed that all three 2026 World Cup co-hosts – Canada, Mexico and the United States – would qualify automatically for the competition.