FIFA confirm Japan will not host 2021 Club World Cup; exploring alternatives

Confirming media reports from earlier this week, FIFA have announced that Japan have indeed dropped out of hosting the Club World Cup, which was supposed to take place December 9-19. The Japanese FA have cited the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for their decision, with the pandemic’s latest wave still keeping much of the country in a state of emergency, which has been in place since mid-July.

The tournament isn’t going away however — so we’ll likely get the chance to add this one missing trophy to the club museum — with FIFA set to decide on an alternative host shortly. The smart money is on Qatar, who have hosted the last two editions, including last season’s after a two-month delay.

FIFA can confirm that it has been informed today by the Japan Football Association (JFA) that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and hosting situation in the country, they are no longer in a position to host the FIFA Club World Cup 2021™.

FIFA would like to thank the JFA for their work and commitment and looks forward to going back to Japan in the future. Further details about an alternative host for the FIFA Club World Cup 2021 will be announced by FIFA in due course.

-FIFA statement