EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber believes the FIFA Club World Cup this summer has been an “absolute terrific success,” and has set the stage for an exciting World Cup 2026 next summer.
Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain and English Premier League standouts Chelsea will play in the Club World Cup final on Sunday, July 13, at MetLife Stadium.
Garber will attend the final – his sixth of the tournament after attending games in Miami, Atlanta and Philadelphia and both semifinal matches at MetLife Stadium in the last week.
“The Club World Cup was the story this summer in sport. And I think I’m pleased to see that three of our teams were part of that story,” Garber told USA TODAY Sports on Friday, July 11.
“I think it did what it was intended to do – to launch something new, take some risk, show some courage, and then set the stage for 2026, which will be another example of soccer and football at its very best. I think the 2026 World Cup will be the most spectacular event in the history of our country.”
Three MLS teams – Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, the Seattle Sounders and Los Angeles FC – participated in the first-of-its-kind tournament, featuring 32 of the best soccer clubs in the world.
While Seattle and LAFC were unable to win any of their three group-stage matches, Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami helped clinch the first win by a North American club against a European side when they beat FC Porto in Atlanta on June 19.
“The beauty of the Club World Cup is our teams had an opportunity to stand and go toe to toe with the top teams in the world,” Garber said.
Garber said there have been at least 3 million people who attended soccer matches this summer, watching either the Club World Cup or the Concacaf Gold Cup this summer.
MLS games have also been ongoing following the group stages in both tournaments, and Garber believes another “half a million” people are expected to attend Leagues Cup matches when the tournament between MLS and LIGA MX clubs from Mexico begins later this month.
“I think all of us at MLS for a generation now have been trying to build what we call ‘a real soccer nation’ – a country that has strong understanding of the sport, and supports their local clubs, supports their national teams, comes out and passionately celebrates like the rest of the world.
“I think Club World Cup was a great platform to tell that story. I thought it was fantastic. I hope to see it come back,” Garber added.
Despite rumors the U.S. could host the Club World Cup again in 2029, there’s no decision yet on where the next edition of the tournament will be played.
FIFA saw 2.4 million fans attend Club World Cup matches with an average of 38,000 fans, and 21 of the 62 matches already played saw at least 50,000 fans. While empty seats were a major storyline, the tournament used NFL-sized stadiums instead of solely soccer-specific stadiums to host more fans.
MLS – which is celebrating its 30th season in 2025 – helped FIFA promote and market the event, while seven MLS training facilities hosted club practices, and four of the league’s soccer-specific stadiums hosted select matches during the tournament.
“I think it’s been a great, proud moment for everybody that’s involved in soccer here in the United States. We showed the world that this country is a soccer nation with passionate fans, and spectacular stadiums, and a knowledgeable fan base,” Garber said.