FIFA President Gianni Infantino Visits Charlotte FC Stadium During U.S. Tour Ahead of 2025 Club World Cup

 April 8, 2025

FIFA President Gianni Infantino visited Charlotte, North Carolina, to promote the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup where he also spoke about the city’s potential role in future international soccer events. During his visit, Infantino toured Charlotte FC’s training facilities and met with local fans, officials and sports executives.

Gianni Infantino at the Bank of America Stadium | Image: Taylor Banner / Charlotte FC

Infantino’s itinerary included a guided tour of Charlotte FC’s training facility, led by the club’s General Manager, Zoran Krneta on Monday afternoon. Later that day Gianni make a surprise appearance at a local pub in Charlotte, where he met fans and gave away Club World Cup merch.

The crucial part of Infantino’s visit was meeting with Tepper Sports & Entertainment owner David Tepper and Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles at Bank of America Stadium. The discussions centered around Charlotte’s role as a host city for the FIFA Club World Cup, scheduled to begin on June 15, 2025.

Charlotte is set to host four matches during the tournament, including two group stage matches and two Round of 16 matches. Teams such as Real Madrid C.F. and FC Bayern München are slated to play in the city, bringing global attention to Charlotte’s soccer scene once more. In the summer of 2024 Bank of America was host to 2 Copa America Matches and hosted the Real Madrid vs Chelsea Friendly.   

David Tepper expressed enthusiasm about Charlotte’s growing prominence in international soccer, stating, “Charlotte is an international soccer city now.” He also emphasized the economic and cultural benefits that hosting such events brings to the city and teased at the potential of being a host city for the 2031 Womens World Cup.

Mayor Vi Lyles highlighted the city’s previous successes in hosting major soccer events, noting that Charlotte FC’s inaugural match four years ago set an attendance record of over 74,000 fans. She also mentioned the joint $650 million investment from the City of Charlotte to modernize Bank of America Stadium, aiming to attract more high-profile events.   

Infantino also acknowledged Charlotte’s potential as a future host for international tournaments, including the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup. He remarked, “Charlotte seems to be quite a hot candidate for a host city of that.”   

The visit speaks to FIFA’s recognition of Charlotte’s growing soccer culture and its readiness to host international events. With the FIFA Club World Cup only 75 days away from today, Charlotte has been preparing to host an approximate quarter of a million fans in the span of 8 days.