RIYADH: The FIFA Club World Cup 2023, one of the most prestigious football tournaments, will be held in Jeddah, as confirmed by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) and FIFA in a joint statement released on Monday.
Scheduled to take place from December 12 to 22, the FIFA Club World Cup 2023 will mark the first time the tournament is held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Following SAFF’s announcement in February that the competition would be hosted in the country, Jeddah was chosen as the final location after a FIFA delegation conducted a thorough assessment of the preparations.
Yasser al-Misehal, President of SAFF, expressed his delight at Jeddah being selected as the host city for the prestigious tournament. He highlighted Jeddah’s advanced facilities and its track record of successfully hosting major international sports events. Al-Misehal also emphasized the role of sports in Saudi Arabia’s ongoing transformation under Vision 2030, which has positioned the Kingdom as one of the fastest-growing and most vibrant countries in the world of sports.
Preparations for FIFA Club World Cup 2023
During the FIFA delegation’s visit, they conducted detailed inspections of vital infrastructure, including the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium and the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium. They also assessed the proposed training and accommodation facilities. The decision to award the hosting rights to Jeddah underscores the city’s readiness and capability to organize such high-profile sporting events.
SAFF has made significant strides in football development within the country. The federation has participated in six FIFA World Cup tournaments, clinched the U-23 AFC Asian Cup (men), successfully established a women’s national team that now holds a FIFA ranking, and launched a U-17 women’s national team.
At the grassroots level, SAFF has established 28 regional training centers to nurture young Saudi talent, and the number of registered coaches has reached 5,500, including 1,000 women—a significant increase from 750 in total in 2018. Moreover, the number of registered male players has risen by 58 percent since 2021, with an 86 percent increase in registered female players during the same period.
