With the Olympics and Paralympics in the rearview mirror, Japan appears ready to withdraw from hosting a major international sporting event in December.
The Japan Football Association (JFA) has decided it wants out of hosting the FIFA Club World Cup and is in discussion with soccer’s world governing body, according to Kyodo News.
The decision is reportedly due to both public health and financial concerns due to Covid-19 restrictions in the country.
Besides the possible risk of increased infections by holding the tournament, Kyodo reports the JFA would also be unable to make a profit given the limits on spectators currently in force in Japan.
The tournament, which features club champions from six confederations, is scheduled to run from December 9-19. This would have been the first time since 2016 that Japan hosted the event.
The previous two editions of the annual tournament have been held in Qatar while the United Arab Emirates hosted in 2017 and 2018. Both countries appear to be good options to step in for Japan. Qatar could use the tournament as a warm up event for hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in November and December of next year.
Before the Club World Cup was launched in 2000, Japan traditionally hosted its predecessor the Toyota Cup, which was a one-off game between the champions of Europe and South America.
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