FIFA Club World Cup coming to Seattle's Lumen Field in 2025. Here's what that means

SEATTLE — Seattle: Soccer City, USA.

We already knew, and couldn't wait for, the FIFA World Cup to come to Lumen Field in 2026 with Team USA getting a game in the Emerald City as part of the lineup of games our city will host.

Now, another event is coming to town, making more history for Seattle.

The FIFA Club World Cup will come to Seattle in 2025, it's a tournament where 32 of the best franchise or club teams from across the world play for the title.

You don't have to be a die-hard fan of the pitch to know powerful clubs like Manchester City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and so many others. They're all in this tournament, and at least some of them could potentially play in Seattle.

The best part? The Seattle Sounders are in this tournament, too.

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By way of winning the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League, The Sounders punched their ticket to this prestigious event. The Sounders also played in the 2022 edition of the Club World Cup (which was actually held in 2023) before losing a close call to Al Ahly.

The Sounders are the first and only MLS Club to win the CONCACAF Champions League Cup, though another team from the United States will be selected to play in this tournament. The other three CONCACAF competitors are Liga MX teams.

The new FIFA Club World Cup features 32 clubs from across the world and takes place from June 15 through July 13, 2025. All but two of the clubs in the event have solidified their spots. The 32 teams will be broken up into eight four-team pods. Those clubs will compete in a round-robin format. The best two teams in each pod will advance to the round of 16.

“Hosting the FIFA Club World Cup at Lumen Field is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our fans and our organization. Never before have we faced the world’s top club sides in expanded competitive play, and the fact that the first edition of this new tournament is being played in our country and our city is historic" said Sounders Majority Owner Adrian Hanauer.

The matchups and sites, including which games we'll see in Seattle will be determined at a later date. The obvious hope is the Sounders can host a match on their home pitch in this prestigious event.

Regardless, the FIFA World Cup in 2026 preceded by the FIFA Club World Cup in 2025. It's an amazing two year stretch of soccer in Seattle on the heels of other world class events calling our city home like the Major League Baseball All-Star Game and the NHL Winter Classic.

Sounders General Manager Craig Waibel sumed it up pretty well, saying, "It’s an honor to represent Seattle and American soccer on this stage. Our team is excited and ready for the challenge.”