FIFA has provided a big update regarding the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, amid reported worries and challenges surrounding the competition Mamelodi Sundowns have qualified for.
The international governing body of football has announced the 12 stadiums in the United States that will host matches during the tournament.
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The venues that have been selected are the MetLife Stadium in New York – which will host the final – the Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta), the Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte), the TQL Stadium (Cincinnati), the Rose Bowl Stadium (Los Angeles), the Hard Rock Stadium (Miami), GEODIS Park (Nashville), the Camping World Stadium (Orlando), the InterCo Stadium (Orlando), Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia), Lumen Field (Seattle), and Audi Field (Washington, D.C.).
The announcement comes after it was claimed that concerns surrounding the showpiece were growing.
Despite that issue seemingly being sorted, a lack of funds for the tournament is still believed to be a concern, while a lack of sponsorship has also been reported.
However, with the competition growing from just eight participants to 32 clubs from across the globe, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has highlighted the positive effects he believes it will have on world football.
"Football is the most popular sport on the planet, and in 2025 a new era for club football will kick off when FIFA stages the greatest, most inclusive and merit-based global club competition right here in the United States," he said, per the footballing body's official website.
"The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 will feature 12 fantastic stadiums where a new chapter in football's global history will be written by great players from the 32 best clubs in the world.
"This new FIFA competition is the only true example in worldwide club football of real solidarity and inclusivity, allowing the best clubs from Africa, Asia, Central and North America and Oceania to play the powerhouses of Europe and South America in an incredible new World Cup, which will impact enormously the growth of club football and talent globally.
"This is about opportunity and hope for those who need it most, and also about prestige and true football for those who make our sport shine.
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"My thanks go to all. We never discriminate; we include everyone. This is the true spirit of the brand-new FIFA Club World Cup."