Japan withdraws from hosting Club World Cup due to pandemic
The Japan Football Association (JFA) has withdrawn from hosting the 2021 Club World Cup due to the COVID-19 situation in the country, world soccer’s governing body (FIFA) said on Thursday.
The annual tournament, which brings together champions from the six global confederations, was due to be held in December.
“FIFA can confirm that it has been informed today by the 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“, it said in a statement.
Japan last hosted the tournament in 2016 and the JFA had planned to stage the event this year as part of its 100th anniversary celebrations, according to local media reports.
The Japanese government on Thursday officially decided to extend the COVID-19 state of emergency in many parts of the country as it looked to suppress a fresh wave of infections.
