Football and money: Club World Cup could generate $21.1 billion

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has announced that it will allocate one million dollars to each of the eleven American cities that will host the 2025 Club World Cup matches, in an effort to expand the positive impact of major sports competitions. The funds will support the development of social and educational projects, with a focus on children and young people from vulnerable communities.

• Strong commitment to communities

FIFA President Gianni Infantino explained that this initiative is part of a broader strategy through which the organization wants to transform its sporting legacy into one with a sustainable social impact. In the same context, FIFA is setting up a dedicated foundation in the United States, which will coordinate social programs associated with the competition. "We take our social work very seriously. We will contribute one million dollars in each host city to support social projects," said Infantino.

• Football, a bridge between generations and communities

The purpose of these investments is clear: to build mini-football pitches and organize activities for children, especially in those neighborhoods where access to sports is limited. Thus, FIFA aims to ensure that the impact of the tournament does not stop with the final whistle of the last match, but is felt in the daily lives of local communities for years after the competition ends. "In this way, we will ensure that the impact of this innovative international competition continues for a long time," added Infantino.

• Host cities, more than stadiums

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will take place from 14 June to 13 July 2025, in eleven American cities: Atlanta, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York-New Jersey, Orlando, Seattle and Washington DC. These cities are not only important sporting centres, but also spaces where social diversity and community needs can transform sport into a real tool for inclusion and development.

• A tournament with a dual impact: sporting and economic

In addition to the social dimension, the economic analysis carried out by the company OpenEconomics estimates that the expanded edition of the tournament - with 32 participating teams - could generate a contribution of 21.1 billion dollars to global GDP, of which 9.6 billion will remain in the United States. These figures highlight the huge potential of football not only as a sport, but as an economic engine that supports jobs, tourism, investment in infrastructure and local consumption.

• The legacy that matters: people, not just statistics

FIFA's announcement marks a paradigm shift in the organization of major sporting events. Far from being just a media spectacle, the Club World Cup promises to leave behind a visible and lasting social footprint. Through these projects, football becomes more than a game - it becomes a platform for education, inclusion and hope. According to the world forum, in a world where social inequalities are deepening, FIFA's gesture offers an example of how major sports organizations can actively contribute to real change in society. By investing in education, infrastructure and young people, football reconfirms its role as a universal language of solidarity.