FIFA president Gianni Infantino said this summer’s Club World Cup winner will take home “more than $100 million,” while the newly announced World Cup halftime show next year will have viewers from around the world witness an event that is “20 times the Super Bowl.”
Infantino believes the World Cup halftime show, produced by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, will be “the best halftime show ever.”
“We’re thinking big,” Infantino said Thursday. “We’ll have 2 billion viewers from every corner of the world. It’s like 20 times the Super Bowl. So, we are very excited about that. You have to watch it – that’s the surprise. … It will be global, different languages, different countries.”
Infantino’s appearance comes after a slew of soccer news this week:
-The Club World Cup will begin in 100 days, as of Thursday, and participants will compete for a $1 billion prize pool.
-FIFA introduced two new women’s tournaments Wednesday: The Women’s Champions Cup in 2026, and the first Women’s Club World Cup, which will be played in 2028.
-U.S. Soccer plans to submit a host bid for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2031.
Could Drake perform at FIFA World Cup halftime show?
Infantino playfully took heed to FOX 5 host Rosanna Scotto, insisting Drake should perform during the World Cup halftime show because he was “dissed” by Kendrick Lamar during the NFL’s Super Bowl halftime show last month.
“I think I have his number somewhere,” Infantino said of Drake, who participated in FIFA’s announcement of World Cup host cities.
Drake’s hometown of Toronto is a host city for the World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
FIFA Club World Cup is in 100 days
Thursday marked 100 days until the Club World Cup, where Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi, Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe and Manchester City’s Erling Haaland are among the best players in the world competing in the club tournament.
“Well, Messi will be here,” Infantino said. “We have actually the three best players of last year: Messi, Halland, Mbappe.”
Along with Infantino’s revelation Thursday of the $100 million prize to the Club World Cup winners, FIFA says $250 million of the $1 billion prize pool will be dispersed as solidarity to non-participating clubs across the world.
Club World Cup, World Cup important dates
The Club World Cup begins June 14 when Messi and Inter Miami play Egyptian standouts Al Alhy at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
The Club World Cup final will be July 13, and the World Cup final will be July 19, 2026. Both finals will be played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
“We love New York. We love New Jersey. We could have played, as you say, anywhere in the universe, actually. And we decided here. New York is such a universal city. It’s a capital of the world, and that’s why FIFA has to be here,” Infantino said.
Where will Club World Cup games be played?
Along with Miami and New Jersey, Club World Cup matches will be played in Atlanta, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Orlando, Nashville, Philadelphia, Seattle and Washington D.C.
Where will World Cup matches be played?
World Cup games in the U.S. will be played in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, Philadelphia, Seattle and near the Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco areas.
World Cup games in Mexico will be played in Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey in Mexico.
World Cup games in Canada will be played in Toronto and Vancouver.
FIFA seeks volunteers for Club World Cup in host cities
FIFA seeks about 9,000 volunteers for the Club World Cup to “be a very important part of the delivery of this competition.”
“This is a competition that we want to take to as many cities, as many communities, many fans to give the opportunity to experience a FIFA competition, to get a taste for a FIFA competition,” Manolo Zubiria, FIFA chief tournament officer, told USA TODAY Sports.