FIFA Secures Saudi Investment for Club World Cup in the U.S.
FIFA has announced a top-tier commercial agreement with the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia, the majority owner of one of the 32 participating teams in the Club World Cup, which will be held in the United States.
The PIF, the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, owns 75% of the Al Hilal club of Riyadh, one of the four teams in the national league controlled by the fund since 2023. The PIF is also the creator of the LIV Golf project.
According to FIFA, the PIF becomes an official partner of the tournament to be held from June 14 to July 13 in 11 US cities, although the value of the agreement was not specified.
Saudi investment is also funding the Club World Cup broadcast deal, which supports the $1 billion prize fund to be distributed among the 32 teams, including Al Hilal, which will receive an entry payment of $9.55 million.
In December, FIFA announced a global broadcasting agreement with the streaming service DAZN for the Club World Cup, two days before confirming Saudi Arabia as the host of the 2034 men’s World Cup.
Weeks later, a Saudi investment in DAZN was confirmed, estimated at around 1 billion dollars.
The expanded Club World Cup in the U.S. has become a personal project of FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
This year, FIFA also signed Saudi state oil company Aramco as a World Cup sponsor.
The United States will host the first edition of the Club World Cup with 32 teams, which will be played every four years and will feature teams that have won a continental club championship or are well-ranked based on their results during the four-year qualifying period.
Inter Miami, with its star Lionel Messi, was invited by FIFA to represent the host nation.
Al Hilal won the Asian Champions League in 2021 and was drawn by FIFA in a group with Real Madrid, Pachuca, and RB Salzburg.
The Club World Cup has become a personal project of FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who has built close ties since 2018 with Saudi Arabia and its Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, chairman of the PIF.
The gold trophy of the Club World Cup has spent a large part of this year at the White House with the President of the United States, Donald Trump, who plans to present it to the winning team in the final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Trump has also worked closely with the LIV Golf circuit.
