Guests from the world of football and beyond expressed their excitement for the new FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ at a star-studded Trophy Tour launch event in New York, United States.

In the coming weeks and months, the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ Trophy Tour will take in the home cities of all 32 participating clubs, before the inaugural edition of the tournament gets under way in Miami on Saturday, 14 July 2025. Some 63 matches will be staged in 12 stadiums across 11 US Host Cities, concluding with the final at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday 13 July 2025. On that day, football’s first true club world champion will get their hands on the bespoke FIFA Club World Cup™ Trophy for the first time, a unique masterpiece conceived by world football’s governing body and crafted in collaboration with luxury global jeweller Tiffany & Co.

Two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup™ winner Carli Lloyd, FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014™ winner Sami Khedira, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and global music superstar Robbie Williams – who is also FIFA Music Ambassador – were among the famous faces at Tiffany & Co.’s midtown Manhattan store for the Trophy Tour launch party - the next stop on the road to the most inclusive competition in world football’s rich history. Inside FIFA rounds up the reaction…

Carli Lloyd (two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup™ winner with USA)

“It’s a beautiful game and I’m a bit biased in saying that America is probably one of the greatest places to be. So, these next two summers, I don’t think we all realise the effects that the (FIFA) Club World Cup and (FIFA) World Cup [are] going to bring, not only to America but all across the globe. I think it’s… You look at the NFL and the Super Bowl, the (FIFA) World Cup in [20]26 is going to be like Super Bowls every day. So, it’s going to be amazing. And, as FIFA puts on all of these amazing tournaments, they’re going to do a phenomenal job these next two summers, as well.”

Sami Khedira (FIFA World Cup 2014™ champion with Germany)

“I love it. I love it, because it’s the best competition in the world, the biggest competition in the world. And then, personally I am a huge fan of the United States, so they know how to add entertainment or to bring entertainment and support, and the ambition to win together. So it’s, (in) my point of view, the perfect match and the best players to have here. The best players, the best teams are coming here, the best coaches and it’s a privilege to play on this highest level of football. Nothing can compare with it. So that’s why it’s a really nice competition and the best competition around.”

Javier Zanetti (FC Internazionale Milano vice-president and former Argentina international)

“We know it’s a prestigious competition. We value this trophy highly and, for sure, when the moment comes, the team will be ready. The trophy is spectacular. It’s beautiful, honestly. The captain who gets to lift it will have a hard time doing so because it’s very big and I think this tournament warrants such a trophy. To all our fans around the world, I invite you to come to this (FIFA) Club World Cup because it will be historic.”

Michael Ballack (former FC Bayern München and Germany midfielder)

“To stage the (FIFA) Club World Cup here in America, won’t only be a test run for the FIFA World Cup 2026, but it’ll also be a yardstick for many more (FIFA) Club World Cups to come. I think America is predestined to be a magnificent host, and I think everyone can look forward to a very well-organised tournament with many different cities and, of course, with a bit of travelling, but you can get to know the country alongside the football.”

Adam Silver (NBA Commissioner)

“I’m jealous. I’m here tonight to learn about how they’re going to go about doing it. As a New Yorker, I'm thrilled that it’s coming to our market. I think that’s wonderful for the fans here, it’s wonderful for the local businesses, but also for the NBA. We’re always exploring new opportunities. I think we're the number two sport in the world after soccer, and we learn from this community, and I have a lot of friends in the soccer community, so I'm here to support them.”

Robbie Williams (FIFA Music Ambassador and Port Vale FC club president)

“I’m very, very happy, and the fact that FIFA have put this together just for me and my entertainment for this summer, it’s something wonderful to look forward to. It’s bound to be very, very entertaining and that’s what the glorious game is; it alleviates us from our day-to-day, it takes us out of our minds, it alleviates our problems and soothes our troubles.”

Phil Murphy (Governor of New Jersey)

“It’s huge for New Jersey and New York City both. We’re a soccer hotbed. We’re among the most diverse, most international areas in the United States, if not the world. It’s a game-changer, especially in the legacy that it will leave behind. So, not just the two tournaments but what does that do for kids who will be turned on to soccer pitches that’ll get built, lives that will be transformed? It’s the beautiful sport. All you need is a ball and we’re going to prove to the world that this is ground zero for football over the next couple of years.”

Jeff Berding (co-CEO of FC Cincinnati)

“We are so proud to bring FIFA and these amazing clubs into Cincinnati for a (FIFA) Club World Cup. To be a part of the FIFA family, I’m very proud of the journey and the growth that we’ve been on here over just 10 years. this is a unique opportunity to see the biggest clubs in the world, who you only get to see on TV, and they're going to be playing in our country. And if you're a soccer fan, if you're a sports fan, you get to see the very best of the best coming to the United States. And we want to invite everyone to come to Cincinnati because we have the best stadium. And if you are a soccer fan, a world football fan, you must come to see this brilliant stadium in Cincinnati with some of the very best clubs in the world. Make the trip. We invite you to come (and) check out Cincinnati.”