SEATTLE, WASH. – FIFA announced today that the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup is being held in Morocco from February 1-11, 2023. The seven-team tournament features the Champions League winners from each confederation around the globe, in addition to a representative from the host nation. Sounders FC is the first MLS side to participate in the competition, with Mexican clubs representing Concacaf in all but one of the previous 18 iterations of the tournament (Deportiva Saprissa from Costa Rica took part in 2005). This marks the third time Morocco has hosted the competition (2013, 2014).
“It’s with great privilege that we now prepare to head to Morocco for such a thrilling opportunity,” said Sounders FC General Manager & Chief Soccer Officer Craig Waibel. “On top of the chance to play some of the world’s best clubs, I can’t think of a better way to prepare for a 2023 campaign that also includes a dynamic international competition in Leagues Cup. We look forward to working with FIFA and competing with our fellow clubs in Morocco.”
The FIFA Club World Cup features seven clubs from around the world in a competition for global supremacy in club soccer. In addition to Sounders FC, the 2023 tournament features Spanish giant Real Madrid, Brazilian side Flamengo, Auckland City of New Zealand and host club Wydad Casablanca, as well as TBD representatives from the Asian Football Confederation and an additional club from the Confederation of African Football. Further details on the competition schedule, tickets and broadcast information are being announced at a later date.
“We cannot wait to travel to Morocco for such an exciting and unprecedented moment for our club,” said Sounders FC Head Coach Brian Schmetzer. “Having watched the Moroccan National Team’s incredible run in Qatar, we have no doubt that a nation so rich with soccer culture will be a great host to this event. This only makes us more excited and motivated to continue our 2023 preseason preparations.”
Sounders FC secured its place in the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup after its title-winning run in the 2022 Concacaf Champions League, becoming the first MLS side to win the tournament. Seattle defeated Liga MX side Pumas UNAM 5-2 on aggregate in the Final, including a 3-0 home win in the second leg at Lumen Field in front of a record crowd of 68,741, which broke the all-time Concacaf Champions League Final attendance record for a standalone match. The second leg result featured a brace from Raúl Ruidíaz and a goal from Nico Lodeiro, as well as Stefan Frei’s fourth shutout of the competition, which earned him Goalkeeper of the Tournament and Player of the Tournament honors.
2022 FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP PARTICIPANTS
Real Madrid (Spain) – 2021-2022 UEFA Champions League winner
Flamengo (Brazil) – 2022 Copa Libertadores winner
Sounders FC (United States) – 2022 Concacaf Champions League winner
Auckland City (New Zealand) – 2022 OFC Champions League winner
Wydad Casablanca (Morocco) – 2021-2022 CAF Champions League winner & host nation
TBD – Additional CAF representative
TBD – 2022 AFC Champions League winner
